With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 13.4x Arcadium Lithium plc (NYSE:ALTM) 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 17x and even P/E's higher than 33x 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.  

Recent times have been pleasing for Arcadium Lithium as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse.   It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, possibly more than the market, 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.    

NYSE:ALTM Price to Earnings Ratio vs Industry April 15th 2024

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

How Is Arcadium Lithium's Growth Trending?  

Arcadium Lithium's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the market.  

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 15% last year.    Although, its longer-term performance hasn't been as strong with three-year EPS growth being relatively non-existent overall.  Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.  

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 2.4%  per year as estimated by the analysts watching the company.  Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 10% per annum, which is noticeably more attractive.

With this information, we can see why Arcadium Lithium is trading at a P/E lower than the market.  Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less 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.

We've established that Arcadium Lithium maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected.  At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio.  It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.    

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 1 warning sign for Arcadium Lithium that you need to be mindful of.  

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 low P/E).

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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.