When close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 17x, you may consider L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:LHX) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 36.2x P/E ratio.  However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.  

With its earnings growth in positive territory compared to the declining earnings of most other companies, L3Harris Technologies has been doing quite well of late.   It seems that many are expecting the company to continue defying the broader market adversity, which has increased investors' willingness to pay up for the stock.  You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.    

NYSE:LHX Price to Earnings Ratio vs Industry May 21st 2024

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on L3Harris Technologies will help you uncover what's on the horizon.  

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?  

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as L3Harris Technologies' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.  

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 28% last year.    However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen a very unpleasant 4.7% drop in EPS in aggregate.  So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.  

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 27% each year during the coming three years according to the analysts following the company.  With the market only predicted to deliver 10% per annum, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that L3Harris Technologies' P/E sits above the majority of other companies.  It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.  

What We Can Learn From L3Harris Technologies' P/E?

We'd say the price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

As we suspected, our examination of L3Harris Technologies' analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E.  At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio.  Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.    

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 3 warning signs for L3Harris Technologies (1 can't be ignored!) that you need to be mindful of.  

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on 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.