There wouldn't be many who think S.J.S. Enterprises Limited's (NSE:SJS) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 23.5x is worth a mention when the median P/E in India is similar at about 25x. 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.
S.J.S. Enterprises certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing earnings more than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to wane, which has kept the P/E from rising. 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 not quite in favour.
Check out our latest analysis for S.J.S. Enterprises
How Is S.J.S. Enterprises' Growth Trending?
S.J.S. Enterprises' 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.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 49% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 96% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.
Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 22% as estimated by the three analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be similar to the 25% growth forecast for the broader market.
In light of this, it's understandable that S.J.S. Enterprises' P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see average future growth and are only willing to pay a moderate amount for the stock.
The Key Takeaway
Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.
We've established that S.J.S. Enterprises maintains its moderate P/E off the back of its forecast growth being in line with the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings won't throw up any surprises. It's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future under these circumstances.
Many other vital risk factors can be found on the company's balance sheet. Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis for S.J.S. Enterprises with six simple checks on some of these key factors.
You might be able to find a better investment than S.J.S. Enterprises. 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.