When close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 17x, you may consider CRA International, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRAI) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 28.9x P/E ratio.  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 CRA International 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.    

NasdaqGS:CRAI Price to Earnings Ratio vs Industry June 4th 2024

Keen to find out how analysts think CRA International's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

Is There Enough Growth For CRA International?  

CRA International'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.  

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 8.1% gain to the company's bottom line.   The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 69% overall rise in EPS, aided somewhat 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 three analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 2.6% over the next year.  Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 13%, which is noticeably more attractive.

With this information, we find it concerning that CRA International is trading at a P/E higher than the market.  Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price.  There's a good chance these shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.  

The Key Takeaway

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.

Our examination of CRA International's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook isn't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted.  Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long.  Unless these conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.    

Having said that, be aware  CRA International is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.  

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and 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.