The Azeus Systems Holdings Ltd. (SGX:BBW) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 35%.    Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 26% in the last year.  

After such a large jump in price, given close to half the companies in Singapore have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 11x, you may consider Azeus Systems Holdings as a stock to avoid entirely with its 21.6x 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.  

Earnings have risen firmly for Azeus Systems Holdings recently, which is pleasing to see.   It might be that many expect the respectable earnings performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors' willingness to pay up for the stock.  If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.    

SGX:BBW Price to Earnings Ratio vs Industry June 5th 2024

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Azeus Systems Holdings' earnings, revenue and cash flow.  

Does Growth Match The High P/E?  

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 12% gain to the company's bottom line.   Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 259% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth.  So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.  

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 12% shows it's noticeably more attractive on an annualised basis.

With this information, we can see why Azeus Systems Holdings is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market.  Presumably shareholders aren't keen to offload something they believe will continue to outmanoeuvre the bourse.  

The Final Word

Azeus Systems Holdings' P/E is flying high just like its stock has during the last month.      It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

We've established that Azeus Systems Holdings maintains its high P/E on the strength of its recent three-year growth being higher than the wider market forecast, as expected.  At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio.  Unless the recent medium-term conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.    

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 1 warning sign for Azeus Systems Holdings that you need to be mindful of.  

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.