Market Still Lacking Some Conviction On Comstock Resources, Inc. (NYSE:CRK)
With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 10.2x Comstock Resources, Inc. (NYSE:CRK) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in the United States have P/E ratios greater than 18x and even P/E's higher than 35x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
Comstock Resources certainly has been doing a good job lately as its earnings growth has been positive while most other companies have been seeing their earnings go backwards. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company's earnings are going to fall away like everyone else's soon. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.
View our latest analysis for Comstock Resources
Keen to find out how analysts think Comstock Resources' future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.
Is There Any Growth For Comstock Resources?
There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like Comstock Resources' to be considered reasonable.
If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 48%. Although, its longer-term performance hasn't been as strong with three-year EPS growth being relatively non-existent overall. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.
Shifting to the future, estimates from the six analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 13% per annum over the next three years. 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 peculiar that Comstock Resources' P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting significantly lower selling prices.
The Final Word
It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.
We've established that Comstock Resources currently trades on a much lower than expected P/E since its forecast growth is higher than the wider market. There could be some major unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching the positive outlook. It appears many are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because these conditions should normally provide a boost to the share price.
Before you take the next step, you should know about the 4 warning signs for Comstock Resources (1 can't be ignored!) that we have uncovered.
If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly and trade on P/E's below 20x.
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@simplywallst.com.
