Further Upside For Manx Financial Group PLC (LON:MFX) Shares Could Introduce Price Risks After 28% Bounce

Those holding Manx Financial Group PLC (LON:MFX) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 28% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. The last month tops off a massive increase of 118% in the last year.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, Manx Financial Group may still be sending very bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 3.9x, since almost half of all companies in the United Kingdom have P/E ratios greater than 17x and even P/E's higher than 28x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

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Manx Financial Group certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. 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 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 out of favour.

See our latest analysis for Manx Financial Group

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Manx Financial Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/E?

Manx Financial Group's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very poor growth or even falling earnings, and importantly, perform much worse than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 58%. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 127% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Comparing that to the market, which is only predicted to deliver 19% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is stronger based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Manx Financial Group's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It looks like most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.

The Bottom Line On Manx Financial Group's P/E

Manx Financial Group's recent share price jump still sees its P/E sitting firmly flat on the ground. We'd say the price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

We've established that Manx Financial Group currently trades on a much lower than expected P/E since its recent three-year growth is higher than the wider market forecast. When we see strong earnings with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing significant pressure on the P/E ratio. It appears many are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions would normally provide a boost to the share price.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 5 warning signs for Manx Financial Group (2 are a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.