Powell Industries, Inc. (NASDAQ:POWL) Looks Inexpensive But Perhaps Not Attractive Enough
Powell Industries, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:POWL) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 14.2x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 19x and even P/E's above 39x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.
Powell Industries certainly has been doing a good job lately as its earnings growth has been positive while most other companies have been seeing their earnings go backwards. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, possibly more than the market, which has repressed the P/E. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.
View our latest analysis for Powell Industries
Keen to find out how analysts think Powell Industries' future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.
What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/E?
There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like Powell Industries' to be considered reasonable.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 307% last year. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 1,610% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.
Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to slump, contracting by 35% during the coming year according to the dual analysts following the company. With the market predicted to deliver 6.1% growth , that's a disappointing outcome.
In light of this, it's understandable that Powell Industries' P/E would sit below the majority of other companies. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/E has reached a floor yet with earnings going in reverse. There's potential for the P/E to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its profitability.
The Bottom Line On Powell Industries' 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 Powell Industries' analyst forecasts revealed that its outlook for shrinking earnings is contributing to its low P/E. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Powell Industries (1 shouldn't be ignored) you should be aware of.
It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20x).
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
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