e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (NYSE:ELF) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 31% share price drop in the last month. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 48% in that time.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, given close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 18x, you may still consider e.l.f. Beauty as a stock to avoid entirely with its 46.2x 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.

e.l.f. Beauty 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 high because investors think this poor earnings performance will turn the corner. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

Check out our latest analysis for e.l.f. Beauty

Keen to find out how analysts think e.l.f. Beauty's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

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

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 15% decrease to the company's bottom line. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 427% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would probably welcome the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 37% per year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 11% each year, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that e.l.f. Beauty's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

The Key Takeaway

A significant share price dive has done very little to deflate e.l.f. Beauty's very lofty P/E. 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 e.l.f. Beauty's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. 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.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for e.l.f. Beauty that you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.