Comfort Systems USA, Inc.'s (NYSE:FIX) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 30.8x might make it look like a strong 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.  Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.  

Recent times have been pleasing for Comfort Systems USA as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse.   The P/E is probably high because investors think the company will continue to navigate the broader market headwinds better than most.  If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.    

NYSE:FIX Price to Earnings Ratio vs Industry June 16th 2024

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

Does Growth Match The High P/E?  

Comfort Systems USA's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the market.  

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 68%.   The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 133% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance.  Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.  

Shifting to the future, estimates from the four analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 13% per annum over the next three years.  That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 9.9% per annum growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's understandable that Comfort Systems USA's P/E sits above the majority of other companies.  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 Comfort Systems USA maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected.  Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat.  It's hard to see the share price falling 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 Comfort Systems USA that you need to be mindful of.  

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Comfort Systems USA. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.

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