Multi-Chem Limited (SGX:AWZ) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 26% gain in the last month alone. The last 30 days bring the annual gain to a very sharp 69%.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, it's still not a stretch to say that Multi-Chem's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 10x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in Singapore, where the median P/E ratio is around 12x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/E without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

Multi-Chem certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. 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.

How Is Multi-Chem's Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Multi-Chem would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 36% gain to the company's bottom line. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 53% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 12% over the next year, materially lower than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's curious that Multi-Chem's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.

What We Can Learn From Multi-Chem's P/E?

Multi-Chem's stock has a lot of momentum behind it lately, which has brought its P/E level with the market. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

Our examination of Multi-Chem revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't contributing to its P/E as much as we would have predicted, given they look better than current market expectations. There could be some unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching this positive performance. It appears some are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions would normally provide a boost to the share price.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with Multi-Chem.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Multi-Chem. 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com