IBEX Technologies Inc.'s (CVE:IBT) Share Price Is Matching Sentiment Around Its Earnings
IBEX Technologies Inc.'s (CVE:IBT) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 10.8x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in Canada, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 13x and even P/E's above 29x 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 limited.
As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at IBEX Technologies over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the disappointing earnings performance to continue or accelerate, which has repressed the P/E. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.
See our latest analysis for IBEX Technologies
We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on IBEX Technologies' earnings, revenue and cash flow.
Does Growth Match The Low P/E?
In order to justify its P/E ratio, IBEX Technologies would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.
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 23%. This has erased any of its gains during the last three years, with practically no change in EPS being achieved in total. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.
Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 9.8% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.
In light of this, it's understandable that IBEX Technologies' P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the bourse.
The Bottom Line On IBEX Technologies' 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.
As we suspected, our examination of IBEX Technologies revealed its three-year earnings trends are contributing to its low P/E, given they look worse than current market expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for IBEX Technologies you should be aware of, and 2 of them can't be ignored.
It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20x).
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.
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