Market Cool On Payment Financial Technologies Ltd's (TLV:PMNT) Earnings

It's not a stretch to say that Payment Financial Technologies Ltd's (TLV:PMNT) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 10.9x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in Israel, where the median P/E ratio is around 12x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/E without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

Earnings have risen at a steady rate over the last year for Payment Financial Technologies, which is generally not a bad outcome. One possibility is that the P/E is moderate because investors think this good earnings growth might only be parallel to the broader market in the near future. If not, then at least existing shareholders probably aren't too pessimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for Payment Financial Technologies

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Payment Financial Technologies will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Does Growth Match The P/E?

Payment Financial Technologies' P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 6.9%. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 2,691% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Comparing that to the market, which is only predicted to deliver 13% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is stronger based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.

With this information, we find it interesting that Payment Financial Technologies is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. Apparently some shareholders believe the recent performance is at its limits and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Final Word

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 Payment Financial Technologies currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its recent three-year growth is higher than the wider market forecast. There could be some unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching this positive performance. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued if recent medium-term earnings trends continue, but investors seem to think future earnings could see some volatility.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we've discovered 3 warning signs for Payment Financial Technologies (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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).

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.