Why We're Not Concerned About Waste Connections, Inc.'s (NYSE:WCN) Share Price

When close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 19x, you may consider Waste Connections, Inc. (NYSE:WCN) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 72.8x P/E ratio. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

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Waste Connections could be doing better as its earnings have been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive earnings growth. It might be that many expect the dour earnings performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

Check out our latest analysis for Waste Connections

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Waste Connections would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 25%. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 5.3% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 38% per year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 11% per year, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Waste Connections' 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.

The Final Word

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 Waste Connections' 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. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - Waste Connections has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Waste Connections. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.