Insteel Industries, Inc. (NYSE:IIIN) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 25% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Longer-term shareholders would be thankful for the recovery in the share price since it's now virtually flat for the year after the recent bounce.
After such a large jump in price, Insteel Industries' price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 28.4x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 16x and even P/E's below 10x are quite common. 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.
Insteel Industries hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining earnings compare poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth on average. It might be that many expect the dour earnings performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. If not, then existing shareholders may be extremely nervous about the viability of the share price.
View our latest analysis for Insteel Industries
What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?
In order to justify its P/E ratio, Insteel Industries would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 7.0% decrease to the company's bottom line. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 79% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.
Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 40% each year as estimated by the two analysts watching the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 10% each year, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.
In light of this, it's understandable that Insteel Industries' 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.
The Key Takeaway
The strong share price surge has got Insteel Industries' P/E rushing to great heights as well. Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.
As we suspected, our examination of Insteel Industries' 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. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.
Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Insteel Industries that you should be aware of.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a low P/E.
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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.