Broadway Industrial Group Limited (SGX:B69) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 28% share price drop in the last month. The recent drop completes a disastrous twelve months for shareholders, who are sitting on a 59% loss during that time.

After such a large drop in price, Broadway Industrial Group may be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 5.9x, since almost half of all companies in Singapore have P/E ratios greater than 11x and even P/E's higher than 19x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

For instance, Broadway Industrial Group's receding earnings in recent times would have to be some food for thought. 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. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

See our latest analysis for Broadway Industrial Group

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

Broadway Industrial Group'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, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 58%. This has erased any of its gains during the last three years, with practically no change in EPS being achieved in total. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

It's interesting to note that the rest of the market is similarly expected to grow by 1.0% over the next year, which is fairly even with the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Broadway Industrial Group's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders are more bearish than recent times would indicate and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Final Word

Broadway Industrial Group's P/E has taken a tumble along with its share price. We'd say the price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

Our examination of Broadway Industrial Group revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't contributing to its P/E as much as we would have predicted, given they look similar to current market expectations. There could be some unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching the company's performance. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued if recent medium-term earnings trends continue, but investors seem to think future earnings could see some volatility.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Broadway Industrial Group that you should be aware of.

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly and trade on P/E's below 20x.

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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.