When close to half the companies in Hong Kong have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 9x, you may consider Plover Bay Technologies Limited (HKG:1523) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 16.3x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.
With earnings growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Plover Bay Technologies has been doing relatively well. The P/E is probably high because investors think this strong earnings performance will continue. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
Keen to find out how analysts think Plover Bay Technologies' future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.
What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Plover Bay Technologies' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 23% gain to the company's bottom line. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 90% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.
Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 15% each year during the coming three years according to the one analyst following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 16% per year, which is not materially different.
In light of this, it's curious that Plover Bay Technologies' P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.
The Final Word
Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.
We've established that Plover Bay Technologies currently trades on a higher than expected P/E since its forecast growth is only in line with the wider market. When we see an average earnings outlook with market-like growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. This places shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.
Before you take the next step, you should know about the 1 warning sign for Plover Bay Technologies that we have uncovered.
If you're unsure about the strength of Plover Bay Technologies' business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content?Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com. 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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
當香港有近一半的公司的市盈率低於9倍時,您可能會考慮完全避免Plover Bay Technologies Limited(HKG: 1523),因爲其16.3倍的市盈率。不過,我們需要深入挖掘一下,以確定高昂的市盈率是否有合理的依據。
由於收益增長優於大多數其他公司,Plover Bay Technologies的表現相對不錯。市盈率可能很高,因爲投資者認爲這種強勁的收益表現將會持續下去。否則,您會因爲沒有特別的理由支付相當高的價格。
想知道分析師如何評估Plover Bay Technologies的未來與行業相比如何排名嗎?在這種情況下,我們的免費報告是一個很好的起點。
增長指標告訴我們關於高市盈率的什麼?
當公司的增長有望明顯超過市場時,您唯一會真正放心看到Plover Bay Technologies這樣的市盈率高企。