DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DV) Shares Slammed 41% But Getting In Cheap Might Be Difficult Regardless

The DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DV) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 41%. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 49% in that time.

Although its price has dipped substantially, given close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 17x, you may still consider DoubleVerify Holdings as a stock to avoid entirely with its 46.5x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

Recent times have been pleasing for DoubleVerify Holdings as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse. It seems that many are expecting the company to continue defying the broader market adversity, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

View our latest analysis for DoubleVerify Holdings

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

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, DoubleVerify Holdings would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 27%. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 120% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 19% per year during the coming three years according to the analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 9.9% each year growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we can see why DoubleVerify Holdings is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

What We Can Learn From DoubleVerify Holdings' P/E?

A significant share price dive has done very little to deflate DoubleVerify Holdings' very lofty P/E. It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

We've established that DoubleVerify Holdings maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. 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.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for DoubleVerify Holdings you should know about.

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.