Unfortunately for some shareholders, the LightInTheBox Holding Co., Ltd. (NYSE:LITB) share price has dived 25% in the last thirty days, prolonging recent pain. Still, a bad month hasn't completely ruined the past year with the stock gaining 51%, which is great even in a bull market.

Since its price has dipped substantially, given close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 19x, you may consider LightInTheBox Holding as an attractive investment with its 14.6x P/E ratio. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

For example, consider that LightInTheBox Holding's financial performance has been poor lately as it's earnings have been in decline. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company won't do enough to avoid underperforming the broader market in the near future. However, if this doesn't eventuate then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

See our latest analysis for LightInTheBox Holding

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on LightInTheBox Holding will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, LightInTheBox Holding would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 39% decrease to the company's bottom line. This has erased any of its gains during the last three years, with practically no change in EPS being achieved in total. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 17% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.

In light of this, it's understandable that LightInTheBox Holding's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the bourse.

What We Can Learn From LightInTheBox Holding's P/E?

LightInTheBox Holding's recently weak share price has pulled its P/E below most other companies. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of LightInTheBox Holding revealed its three-year earnings trends are contributing to its low P/E, given they look worse than current market expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - LightInTheBox Holding has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a P/E below 20x.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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