African Rainbow Minerals Limited (JSE:ARI) Screens Well But There Might Be A Catch

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 4.6x African Rainbow Minerals Limited (JSE:ARI) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in South Africa have P/E ratios greater than 9x and even P/E's higher than 13x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

While the market has experienced earnings growth lately, African Rainbow Minerals' earnings have gone into reverse gear, which is not great. It seems that many are expecting the dour earnings performance to persist, which has repressed the P/E. If this is the case, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for African Rainbow Minerals

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Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on African Rainbow Minerals will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as low as African Rainbow Minerals' is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 1.9% decrease to the company's bottom line. Still, the latest three year period has seen an excellent 243% overall rise in EPS, in spite of its unsatisfying short-term performance. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would probably welcome the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the five analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 5.3% per year over the next three years. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 5.6% per year, which is not materially different.

In light of this, it's peculiar that African Rainbow Minerals' P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Bottom Line On African Rainbow Minerals' P/E

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

We've established that African Rainbow Minerals currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its forecast growth is in line with the wider market. When we see an average earnings outlook with market-like growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/E ratio. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued, but investors seem to think future earnings could see some volatility.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with African Rainbow Minerals (including 1 which is potentially serious).

You might be able to find a better investment than African Rainbow Minerals. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20x (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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

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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