IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDXX) Stocks Shoot Up 26% But Its P/E Still Looks Reasonable

IDEXX Laboratories, Inc. (NASDAQ:IDXX) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 26% gain and recovering from prior weakness. But the gains over the last month weren't enough to make shareholders whole, as the share price is still down 3.6% in the last twelve months.

Since its price has surged higher, IDEXX Laboratories may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 44.2x, since almost half of all companies in the United States have P/E ratios under 17x and even P/E's lower than 10x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

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Recent earnings growth for IDEXX Laboratories has been in line with the market. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this modest earnings performance will accelerate. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

View our latest analysis for IDEXX Laboratories

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on IDEXX Laboratories.

Is There Enough Growth For IDEXX Laboratories?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as IDEXX Laboratories' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 4.6%. The solid recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 29% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 13% per year as estimated by the twelve analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to only expand by 10% per annum, which is noticeably less attractive.

In light of this, it's understandable that IDEXX Laboratories' P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

The Bottom Line On IDEXX Laboratories' P/E

Shares in IDEXX Laboratories have built up some good momentum lately, which has really inflated its P/E. While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

As we suspected, our examination of IDEXX Laboratories' analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for IDEXX Laboratories that you should be aware of.

If you're unsure about the strength of IDEXX Laboratories' business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.