Victoria Gold Corp.'s (TSE:VGCX) Popularity With Investors Is Under Threat From Overpricing

It's not a stretch to say that Victoria Gold Corp.'s (TSE:VGCX) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 9.8x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in Canada, where the median P/E ratio is around 12x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/E without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

Victoria Gold hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining earnings compare poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth on average. One possibility is that the P/E is moderate because investors think this poor earnings performance will turn around. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for Victoria Gold

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Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Victoria Gold will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

Is There Some Growth For Victoria Gold?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the market for P/E ratios like Victoria Gold's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 1.3% decrease to the company's bottom line. At least EPS has managed not to go completely backwards from three years ago in aggregate, thanks to the earlier period of growth. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the twin analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 5.2% per annum over the next three years. With the market predicted to deliver 14% growth each year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

With this information, we find it interesting that Victoria Gold is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Final Word

It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

Our examination of Victoria Gold'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. This places shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

Having said that, be aware Victoria Gold is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis, you should know about.

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

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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.