ReposiTrak, Inc. (NYSE:TRAK) Not Lagging Market On Growth Or Pricing
Dealertrack Technologies, Inc. TRAK | 23.11 | +2.08% |
With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 71.3x ReposiTrak, Inc. (NYSE:TRAK) 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 19x and even P/E's lower than 11x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.
Recent times have been advantageous for ReposiTrak as its earnings have been rising faster than most other companies. The P/E is probably high because investors think this strong earnings performance will continue. 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 ReposiTrak.Is There Enough Growth For ReposiTrak?
There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the market for P/E ratios like ReposiTrak's to be considered reasonable.
If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 9.3%. This was backed up an excellent period prior to see EPS up by 64% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.
Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 21% during the coming year according to the only analyst following the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 15% growth forecast for the broader market.
In light of this, it's understandable that ReposiTrak's 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.
What We Can Learn From ReposiTrak's 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.
As we suspected, our examination of ReposiTrak's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.
A lot of potential risks can sit within a company's balance sheet. Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis for ReposiTrak with six simple checks on some of these key factors.
You might be able to find a better investment than ReposiTrak.
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.