The Option Care Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:OPCH) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 27%. Instead of being rewarded, shareholders who have already held through the last twelve months are now sitting on a 25% share price drop.
Although its price has dipped substantially, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Option Care Health's P/E ratio of 18.1x, since the median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio in the United States is also close to 19x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.
While the market has experienced earnings growth lately, Option Care Health's earnings have gone into reverse gear, which is not great. It might be that many expect the dour earnings performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/E from falling. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.
Is There Some Growth For Option Care Health?
In order to justify its P/E ratio, Option Care Health would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.
If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 16%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 171% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would probably welcome the medium-term rates of earnings growth.
Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 3.2% as estimated by the nine analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 15% growth forecast for the broader market.
In light of this, it's curious that Option Care Health's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.
What We Can Learn From Option Care Health's P/E?
With its share price falling into a hole, the P/E for Option Care Health looks quite average now. Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.
Our examination of Option Care Health's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook isn't impacting its P/E as much as we would have predicted. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/E as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless these conditions improve, it's challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.
Before you take the next step, you should know about the 2 warning signs for Option Care Health that we have uncovered.
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.