Yahoo Finance Unpleasant Surprises Could Be In Store For Avista Corporation's (NYSE:AVA) Shares
It's not a stretch to say that Avista Corporation's (NYSE:AVA) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 18.8x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in the United States, where the median P/E ratio is around 18x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.
With earnings that are retreating more than the market's of late, Avista has been very sluggish. It might be that many expect the dismal earnings performance to revert back to market averages soon, which has kept the P/E from falling. You'd much rather the company wasn't bleeding earnings if you still believe in the business. Or at the very least, you'd be hoping it doesn't keep underperforming if your plan is to pick up some stock while it's not in favour.
See our latest analysis for Avista
If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Avista.
Is There Some Growth For Avista?
The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/E like Avista's is when the company's growth is tracking the market closely.
Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 35%. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 12% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.
Shifting to the future, estimates from the three analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 4.2% each year over the next three years. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 12% each year growth forecast for the broader market.
With this information, we find it interesting that Avista is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.
The Final Word
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.
Our examination of Avista's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook isn't impacting its P/E as much as we would have predicted. When we see a weak earnings outlook with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the moderate P/E lower. Unless these conditions improve, it's challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.
Having said that, be aware Avista is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is significant.
If you're unsure about the strength of Avista's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.
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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