With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 38.3x Janus Henderson Group plc (NYSE:JHG) may be sending very bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in the United States have P/E ratios under 21x and even P/E's lower than 12x 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.
While the market has experienced earnings growth lately, Janus Henderson Group's earnings have gone into reverse gear, which is not great. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this poor earnings performance will turn the corner. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Janus Henderson Group.
What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Janus Henderson Group's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.
If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 60%. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 78% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.
Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 41% each year during the coming three years according to the analysts following the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 15% per year, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.
In light of this, it's understandable that Janus Henderson Group's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.
What We Can Learn From Janus Henderson Group's P/E?
Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.
As we suspected, our examination of Janus Henderson Group's 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.
It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Janus Henderson Group, and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Janus Henderson Group. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that sit on P/E's below 20x and have grown earnings strongly.
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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