Franklin Covey Co.'s (NYSE:FC) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 29.4x 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.

With its earnings growth in positive territory compared to the declining earnings of most other companies, Franklin Covey has been doing quite well of late. 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.

See our latest analysis for Franklin Covey

How Is Franklin Covey's Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Franklin Covey's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

If we review the last year of earnings, the company posted a result that saw barely any deviation from a year ago. The longer-term trend has been no better as the company has no earnings growth to show for over the last three years either. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been satisfied with the complete absence of medium-term growth.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 30% during the coming year according to the four analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 10.0% growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we can see why Franklin Covey 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

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.

As we suspected, our examination of Franklin Covey's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. 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.

Many other vital risk factors can be found on the company's balance sheet. Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis for Franklin Covey with six simple checks on some of these key factors.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Franklin Covey. 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.