Subdued Growth No Barrier To Exponent, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:EXPO) Price

Exponent, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:EXPO) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 36.7x 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 17x 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.

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There hasn't been much to differentiate Exponent's and the market's earnings growth lately. It might be that many expect the mediocre earnings performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/E from falling. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for Exponent

How Is Exponent's Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Exponent's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 3.7% gain to the company's bottom line. The solid recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 9.4% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing earnings over that time.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 2.8% per annum during the coming three years according to the three analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 10% per year growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we find it concerning that Exponent is trading at a P/E higher than the market. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On Exponent's P/E

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.

We've established that Exponent currently trades on a much higher than expected P/E since its forecast growth is lower than the wider market. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. This places shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

Having said that, be aware Exponent is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of Exponent's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.