When close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 18x, you may consider C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHRW) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 38.5x 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.

C.H. Robinson Worldwide has been struggling lately as its earnings have declined faster 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. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

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

Is There Enough Growth For C.H. Robinson Worldwide?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the market for P/E ratios like C.H. Robinson Worldwide's to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 37%. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 41% overall. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 25% per annum over the next three years. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 10% per year growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we can see why C.H. Robinson Worldwide is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

The Final Word

While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

We've established that C.H. Robinson Worldwide maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for C.H. Robinson Worldwide you should be aware of.

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.