Starlite Holdings Limited's (HKG:403) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 5.2x might make it look like a strong buy right now compared to the market in Hong Kong, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 11x and even P/E's above 21x are quite common. However, the P/E might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
We've discovered 2 warning signs about Starlite Holdings. View them for free.With earnings growth that's exceedingly strong of late, Starlite Holdings has been doing very well. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this strong earnings growth might actually underperform the broader market in the near future. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.
See our latest analysis for Starlite Holdings
Is There Any Growth For Starlite Holdings?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as depressed as Starlite Holdings' is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market decidedly.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 308% gain to the company's bottom line. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen a very unpleasant 95% drop in EPS in aggregate. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.
Weighing that medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 18% shows it's an unpleasant look.
With this information, we are not surprised that Starlite Holdings is trading at a P/E lower than the market. However, we think shrinking earnings are unlikely to lead to a stable P/E over the longer term, which could set up shareholders for future disappointment. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as recent earnings trends are already weighing down the shares.
What We Can Learn From Starlite Holdings' P/E?
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 Starlite Holdings revealed its shrinking earnings over the medium-term are contributing to its low P/E, given the market is set to grow. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future under these circumstances.
Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Starlite Holdings that you should be aware of.
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.