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Zebra Technologies (NAS:ZBRA) Forward PE Ratio Explanation
The Forward PE Ratio of a company is often used to compare current earnings to estimated future earnings, as well as gaining a clearer picture of what earnings will look like without charges and other accounting adjustments. If earnings are expected to grow in the future, the Forward PE Ratio will be lower than the current PE Ratio. This measure is also used to compare one company to another with a forward-looking focus.
Trailing PE Ratio relies on what is already done. It uses the current share price and divides by the total EPS (Basic) over the past 12 months. PE Ratio can be affected by Non Operating Income such as the sale of part of businesses. This may increase for the current year or quarter dramatically. But it cannot be repeated over and over. Therefore PE Ratio without NRI is a more accurate indication of valuation than PE Ratio .
Zebra Technologies Forward PE Ratio Related Terms
Zebra Technologies Forward PE Ratio Historical Data
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The historical data trend for Zebra Technologies's Forward PE Ratio can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Zebra Technologies Forward PE Ratio Chart
Zebra Technologies Annual Data
Trend
2015-12
2016-12
2017-12
2018-12
2019-12
2020-12
2021-12
2022-12
2023-12
2024-12
2025-12
Forward PE Ratio
10.08
13.55
13.21
12.97
18.52
25.84
29.50
13.39
22.08
24.43
14.02
Zebra Technologies Quarterly Data
2015-12
2016-03
2016-06
2016-09
2016-12
2017-03
2017-06
2017-09
2017-12
2018-03
2018-06
2018-09
2018-12
2019-03
2019-06
2019-09
2019-12
2020-03
2020-06
2020-09
2020-12
2021-03
2021-06
2021-09
2021-12
2022-03
2022-06
2022-09
2022-12
2023-03
2023-06
2023-09
2023-12
2024-03
2024-06
2024-09
2024-12
2025-03
2025-06
2025-09
2025-12
2026-03
Forward PE Ratio
10.08
9.55
10.03
11.20
13.55
14.20
15.53
14.20
13.21
14.79
14.20
15.08
12.97
16.03
16.75
14.39
18.52
13.16
21.10
19.57
25.84
30.49
29.24
28.49
29.50
21.28
16.00
12.45
13.39
17.95
18.25
17.21
22.08
26.18
26.32
23.87
24.43
18.51
21.50
17.27
14.02
11.38
ZBRA vs VIAV, AAOI, VSAT: Forward PE Ratio Comparison
For the Communication Equipment subindustry, Zebra Technologies's Forward PE Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Forward PE Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Zebra Technologies Forward PE Ratio vs Hardware Industry
For the Hardware industry and Technology sector, Zebra Technologies's Forward PE Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Zebra Technologies's Forward PE Ratio falls into.
It's a measure of the price-to-earnings ratio (PE Ratio) using forecasted earnings for the calculation. While the earnings used are just an estimate and are not as reliable as current earnings data, there is still benefit in estimated P/E analysis. The forecasted earnings used in the formula can either be for the next 12 months or for the next full-year fiscal period.
Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) has a Forward PE Ratio of 14.14 as of Jul. 22, 2026. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Zebra Technologies and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Zebra Technologies ranks #291 out of 1018 companies in the Hardware industry, placing it in the top 28.6%.
Is Zebra Technologies' Forward PE Ratio too high?
Zebra Technologies' current Forward PE Ratio is 14.14. The Hardware industry median Forward PE Ratio is 21.15. Zebra Technologies' value of 14.14 is 33.1% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Zebra Technologies ranks #291 out of 1018 companies in the Hardware industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Zebra Technologies has a GF Score™ of 78/100 and is considered Modestly Undervalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Zebra Technologies' Forward PE Ratio compare to VIAV and AAOI?
According to the Hardware industry distribution chart, Zebra Technologies ranks #291 out of 1018 companies for Forward PE Ratio. This puts Zebra Technologies in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Forward PE Ratio is 21.15. Zebra Technologies' value of 14.14 is 33.1% below this benchmark. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Forward PE Ratio for a Hardware company?
The median Forward PE Ratio among Hardware companies is 21.15, based on 1,018 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Forward PE Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Forward PE Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Zebra Technologies's current Forward PE Ratio of 14.14 is 33.1% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Forward PE Ratio mean?
A high Forward PE Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Forward P/E ratio is the share price dividend by the expected per-share earnings in the next 12 months. View historical data on Zebra Technologies and its competitors. For the Hardware industry, the median Forward PE Ratio is 21.15 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Zebra Technologies's current Forward PE Ratio is 14.14. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Zebra Technologies stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) is currently considered Modestly Undervalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $337.65, compared to a current price of $261.98 — trading 22.4% below its estimated fair value. The current Forward PE Ratio is 14.14 and 33.1% below the Hardware industry median of 21.15. Zebra Technologies' overall GF Score™ is 78/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Forward PE Ratio calculated?
Forward PE Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Zebra Technologies (ZBRA), the current Forward PE Ratio is 14.14 as of Jul. 22, 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Zebra Technologies (ZBRA) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Zebra Technologies stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $261.98 is trading 22.4% below its estimated GF Value™ of $337.65.
GuruFocus considers Zebra Technologies to be Modestly Undervalued.
Key valuation signals for ZBRA:
Forward PE Ratio: 14.14
GF Value™: $337.65 vs. price of $261.98 (22.4% below fair value)
Industry Position: 33.1% below the Hardware median (#291 of 1018)
No single metric tells the full story. See the ZBRA stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Zebra Technologies is the largest provider of automatic identification and data capture technology to enterprises. Its solutions include barcode printers and scanners, mobile computers, and workflow optimization software. The firm primarily serves the retail, transportation logistics, manufacturing, and healthcare markets, designing custom solutions to improve efficiency at its customers.
78GF Score
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Forward PE Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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