When close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 17x, you may consider The Lovesac Company (NASDAQ:LOVE) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 41.7x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

Recent times haven't been advantageous for Lovesac as its earnings have been falling quicker than most other companies. It might be that many expect the dismal earnings performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. If not, then existing shareholders may be very nervous about the viability of the share price.

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Lovesac.

Is There Enough Growth For Lovesac?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 34% decrease to the company's bottom line. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 73% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the six analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 55% each year over the next three years. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 10% per year growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's understandable that Lovesac's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

The Final Word

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 Lovesac'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. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Lovesac that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than Lovesac. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.