The Zynex, Inc. (NASDAQ:ZYXI) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 28%. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 29% over that time.
After such a large jump in price, given around half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 16x, you may consider Zynex as a stock to potentially avoid with its 23.6x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's as high as it is.
Recent times haven't been advantageous for Zynex as its earnings have been falling quicker than most other companies. It might be that many expect the dismal earnings performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
Check out our latest analysis for Zynex
How Is Zynex's Growth Trending?
Zynex's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver solid growth, and importantly, perform better than 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 8.2%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 69% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a very good job of growing earnings over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.
Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 42% per annum as estimated by the five analysts watching the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 12% each year, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.
With this information, we can see why Zynex is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.
The Key Takeaway
Zynex shares have received a push in the right direction, but its P/E is elevated too. 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 Zynex maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Zynex that you should be aware of.
If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Zynex, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.
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.