When close to half the companies in Spain have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 20x, you may consider Cementos Molins, S.A. (BDM:CMO) as a highly attractive investment with its 8.7x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so limited.
Cementos Molins 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 degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. 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 Cementos Molins
How Is Cementos Molins' Growth Trending?
There's an inherent assumption that a company should far underperform the market for P/E ratios like Cementos Molins' to be considered reasonable.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 31% gain to the company's bottom line. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 50% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.
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 can see why Cementos Molins is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the bourse.
What We Can Learn From Cementos Molins' P/E?
Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.
We've established that Cementos Molins maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider market forecast, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Cementos Molins 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.
About BDM:CMO
Cementos Molins
Manufactures and sells cement and lime, precast concrete, and other construction materials in Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Bangladesh, India, Tunisia, Bolivia, Colombia, Croatia, Germany, and Turkey.
Flawless balance sheet with solid track record and pays a dividend.
