Mermaid Maritime Public Company Limited (SGX:DU4) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 26% gain in the last month alone. The annual gain comes to 154% following the latest surge, making investors sit up and take notice.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Mermaid Maritime's P/E ratio of 12.5x, since the median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio in Singapore is also close to 12x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

With earnings growth that's exceedingly strong of late, Mermaid Maritime has been doing very well. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to wane, which has kept the P/E from rising. 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 not quite in favour.

Does Growth Match The P/E?

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/E like Mermaid Maritime's is when the company's growth is tracking the market closely.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 336%. However, the latest three year period hasn't been as great in aggregate as it didn't manage to provide any growth at all. 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 12% 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 curious that Mermaid Maritime's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Final Word

Its shares have lifted substantially and now Mermaid Maritime's P/E is also back up to the market median. 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 Mermaid Maritime revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its P/E as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. When we see weak earnings with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the moderate P/E lower. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for Mermaid Maritime you should be aware of.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Mermaid Maritime. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.