Not Many Are Piling Into Zoono Group Limited (ASX:ZNO) Stock Yet As It Plummets 26%

To the annoyance of some shareholders, Zoono Group Limited (ASX:ZNO) shares are down a considerable 26% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. The recent drop completes a disastrous twelve months for shareholders, who are sitting on a 75% loss during that time.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, there still wouldn't be many who think Zoono Group's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 17.1x is worth a mention when the median P/E in Australia is similar at about 18x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at Zoono Group over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing earnings performance behind them over the coming period, which has kept the P/E from falling. If you like the company, you'd at least be hoping this is the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

Check out our latest analysis for Zoono Group

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We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Zoono Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Does Growth Match The P/E?

Zoono Group's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the market.

Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 72%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 5,825% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a very good job of growing earnings over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 17% shows it's noticeably more attractive on an annualised basis.

With this information, we find it interesting that Zoono Group is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.

The Final Word

With its share price falling into a hole, the P/E for Zoono Group looks quite average now. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

We've established that Zoono Group currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its recent three-year growth is higher than the wider market forecast. There could be some unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching this positive performance. It appears some are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions would normally provide a boost to the share price.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 5 warning signs for Zoono Group (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that we have uncovered.

If you're unsure about the strength of Zoono Group's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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