Avangrid, Inc.'s (NYSE:AGR) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 23.4x might make it look like a sell right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 16x and even P/E's below 9x are quite common.  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.  

With earnings that are retreating more than the market's of late, Avangrid has been very sluggish.   One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think the company will turn things around completely and accelerate past most others in the market.  If not, then existing shareholders may be very nervous about the viability of the share price.    

See our latest analysis for Avangrid

NYSE:AGR Price to Earnings Ratio vs Industry January 2nd 2024

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Avangrid.

How Is Avangrid's Growth Trending?  

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Avangrid would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the market.  

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 40%.   As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 29% overall.  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 23% each year during the coming three years according to the eight analysts following the company.  Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to only expand by 13% each year, which is noticeably less attractive.

With this information, we can see why Avangrid is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market.  Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.  

The Final Word

While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

We've established that Avangrid 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.  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 Avangrid (2 are significant!) that you need to be mindful of.  

If you're unsure about the strength of Avangrid's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.