First Pacific Company Limited's (HKG:142) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 5.5x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in Hong Kong, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 10x and even P/E's above 20x are quite common. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
First Pacific hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining earnings compare poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth on average. The P/E is probably low because investors think this poor earnings performance isn't going to get any better. If you still like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.
See our latest analysis for First Pacific
Is There Any Growth For First Pacific?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as low as First Pacific's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 12% decrease to the company's bottom line. Even so, admirably EPS has lifted 241% in aggregate from three years ago, notwithstanding the last 12 months. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would probably welcome the medium-term rates of earnings growth.
Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 21% per annum as estimated by the sole analyst watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 12% per annum growth forecast for the broader market.
With this information, we find it odd that First Pacific is trading at a P/E lower than the market. It looks like most investors are not convinced at all that the company can achieve future growth expectations.
The Key Takeaway
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 First Pacific's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook isn't contributing to its P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted. There could be some major unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching the positive outlook. At least price risks look to be very low, but investors seem to think future earnings could see a lot of volatility.
Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with First Pacific (including 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable).
If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.
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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.