ICL Group Ltd's (NYSE:ICL) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 15.9x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 20x and even P/E's above 35x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

ICL Group could be doing better as its earnings have been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive earnings growth. It seems that many are expecting the dour earnings performance to persist, which has repressed the P/E. If this is the case, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

Is There Any Growth For ICL Group?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like ICL Group's to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 56%. 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 1.3% during the coming year according to the six analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 15% growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we can see why ICL Group 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 Bottom Line On ICL Group's 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.

We've established that ICL Group maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for ICL Group that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than ICL Group. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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