Meitu, Inc. (HKG:1357) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 38% gain and recovering from prior weakness.    Looking further back, the 18% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.  

Following the firm bounce in price, Meitu may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 36.8x, since almost half of all companies in Hong Kong have P/E ratios under 8x and even P/E's lower than 5x are not unusual.  However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.  

Meitu certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing earnings more than most other companies.   It seems that many are expecting the strong earnings performance to persist, which has raised the P/E.  If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.    

SEHK:1357 Price to Earnings Ratio vs Industry March 25th 2024

Keen to find out how analysts think Meitu's 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?  

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Meitu would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.  

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 298%.   Still, EPS has barely risen at all from three years ago in total, which is not ideal.  So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time.  

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 49%  per annum as estimated by the eight analysts watching the company.  With the market only predicted to deliver 15% per year, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Meitu's P/E sits above the majority of other companies.  Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.  

The Final Word

The strong share price surge has got Meitu's P/E rushing to great heights as well.      While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

As we suspected, our examination of Meitu's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E.  Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat.  It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.    

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 2 warning signs for Meitu that you need to be mindful of.  

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Meitu, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.