To the annoyance of some shareholders, Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings Limited (HKG:936) shares are down a considerable 35% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 72% share price decline.
In spite of the heavy fall in price, Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings may still be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 25.6x, since almost half of all companies in Hong Kong have P/E ratios under 9x 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.
Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings has been doing a decent job lately as it's been growing earnings at a reasonable pace. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this good earnings growth will be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.
View our latest analysis for Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings
How Is Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings' Growth Trending?
Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings' P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the market.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow earnings per share by a handy 3.9% last year. Still, EPS has barely risen at all in aggregate from three years ago, which is not ideal. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.
This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 20% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.
With this information, we find it concerning that Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings is trading at a P/E higher than the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.
The Final Word
A significant share price dive has done very little to deflate Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings' very lofty P/E. 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 Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. When we see weak earnings with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.
You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning.
You might be able to find a better investment than Kaisa Capital Investment Holdings. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).
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.