Coca-Cola FEMSA, S.A.B. de C.V.'s (NYSE:KOF) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 15.3x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 19x and even P/E's above 35x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

There hasn't been much to differentiate Coca-Cola FEMSA. de's and the market's earnings growth lately. It might be that many expect the mediocre earnings performance to degrade, which has repressed the P/E. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

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

Coca-Cola FEMSA. de's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, the company posted a result that saw barely any deviation from a year ago. Still, the latest three year period has seen an excellent 66% overall rise in EPS, in spite of its uninspiring short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 22% during the coming year according to the analysts following the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 15%, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Coca-Cola FEMSA. de's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It looks like most investors are not convinced at all that the company can achieve future growth expectations.

What We Can Learn From Coca-Cola FEMSA. de's P/E?

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

Our examination of Coca-Cola FEMSA. de's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook isn't contributing to its P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted. When we see a strong earnings outlook with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing significant pressure on the P/E ratio. It appears many are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because these conditions should normally provide a boost to the share price.

Many other vital risk factors can be found on the company's balance sheet. Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis for Coca-Cola FEMSA. de with six simple checks on some of these key factors.

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

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