With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 12.8x La-Z-Boy Incorporated (NYSE:LZB) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in the United States have P/E ratios greater than 18x and even P/E's higher than 33x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

With earnings that are retreating more than the market's of late, La-Z-Boy has been very sluggish. It seems that many are expecting the dismal earnings performance to persist, which has repressed the P/E. You'd much rather the company wasn't bleeding earnings if you still believe in the business. Or at the very least, you'd be hoping the earnings slide doesn't get any worse if your plan is to pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on La-Z-Boy will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

How Is La-Z-Boy's Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like La-Z-Boy's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 32% decrease to the company's bottom line. Still, the latest three year period has seen an excellent 78% overall rise in EPS, in spite of its unsatisfying short-term performance. Although it's been a bumpy ride, it's still fair to say the earnings growth recently has been more than adequate for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 5.5% each year as estimated by the three analysts watching the company. With the market predicted to deliver 9.9% growth per year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that La-Z-Boy's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see limited future growth and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

The Final Word

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.

As we suspected, our examination of La-Z-Boy's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook is contributing to its low P/E. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for La-Z-Boy that you should be aware of.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on La-Z-Boy, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.