When close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 17x, you may consider Hello Group Inc. (NASDAQ:MOMO) as a highly attractive investment with its 5x P/E ratio.  Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly reduced P/E.  

Hello Group certainly has been doing a good job lately as its earnings growth has been positive while most other companies have been seeing their earnings go backwards.   It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, possibly more than the market, which has repressed the P/E.  If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.    

NasdaqGS:MOMO Price to Earnings Ratio vs Industry June 14th 2024

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Hello Group will help you uncover what's on the horizon.  

Is There Any Growth For Hello Group?  

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as depressed as Hello Group's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market decidedly.  

Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's bottom line as the year before.   Whilst it's an improvement, it wasn't enough to get the company out of the hole it was in, with earnings down 13% overall from three years ago.  Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.  

Shifting to the future, estimates from the eleven analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 4.0% per annum over the next three years.  Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 10% per annum, which is noticeably more attractive.

In light of this, it's understandable that Hello Group's P/E sits below the majority of other companies.  Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.  

The Bottom Line On Hello Group's P/E

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.

As we suspected, our examination of Hello Group's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook is contributing to its low P/E.  At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio.  Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.    

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

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Hello Group. 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.

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