Pinning Down SUNeVision Holdings Ltd.'s (HKG:1686) P/E Is Difficult Right Now

When close to half the companies in Hong Kong have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 9x, you may consider SUNeVision Holdings Ltd. (HKG:1686) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 18.6x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.

There hasn't been much to differentiate SUNeVision Holdings' and the market's earnings growth lately. It might be that many expect the mediocre earnings performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/E from falling. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

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How Is SUNeVision Holdings' Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the market for P/E ratios like SUNeVision Holdings' to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's bottom line as the year before. Fortunately, a few good years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by 15% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 14% each year as estimated by the five analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be similar to the 12% per annum growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's curious that SUNeVision Holdings' P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly average growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. Although, additional gains will be difficult to achieve as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh down the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On SUNeVision Holdings' P/E

It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

Our examination of SUNeVision Holdings' analyst forecasts revealed that its market-matching earnings outlook isn't impacting its high P/E as much as we would have predicted. Right now we are uncomfortable with the relatively high share price as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless these conditions improve, it's challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for SUNeVision Holdings you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than SUNeVision 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).

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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.