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Fewer Investors Than Expected Jumping On Super Micro Computer, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMCI)

With a median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of close to 18x in the United States, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Super Micro Computer, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:SMCI) P/E ratio of 19.9x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

While the market has experienced earnings growth lately, Super Micro Computer's earnings have gone into reverse gear, which is not great. It might be that many expect the dour 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.

See our latest analysis for Super Micro Computer

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If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Super Micro Computer.

Does Growth Match The P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Super Micro Computer would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that there was hardly any earnings per share growth to speak of for the company over the past year. Still, the latest three year period has seen an excellent 162% overall rise in EPS, in spite of its uninspiring short-term performance. 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 49% during the coming year according to the four analysts following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to only expand by 15%, which is noticeably less attractive.

In light of this, it's curious that Super Micro Computer's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. It may be that most investors aren't convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.

What We Can Learn From Super Micro Computer's P/E?

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

We've established that Super Micro Computer currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its forecast growth is higher than the wider market. When we see a strong earnings outlook with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/E ratio. It appears some are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because these conditions should normally provide a boost to the share price.

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

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Super Micro Computer. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that sit on P/E's below 20x and have grown earnings strongly.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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