It's A Story Of Risk Vs Reward With Pentagon Rubber Limited (NSE:PENTAGON)

Pentagon Rubber Limited's (NSE:PENTAGON) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 22.6x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in India, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 34x and even P/E's above 68x are quite common. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

We'd have to say that with no tangible growth over the last year, Pentagon Rubber's earnings have been unimpressive. It might be that many expect the uninspiring earnings performance to worsen, which has repressed the P/E. If not, then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

View our latest analysis for Pentagon Rubber

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

Is There Any Growth For Pentagon Rubber?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as low as Pentagon Rubber's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's bottom line as the year before. However, a few strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 182% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Comparing that to the market, which is only predicted to deliver 25% 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 Pentagon Rubber'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 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 Pentagon Rubber 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.

It is also worth noting that we have found 3 warning signs for Pentagon Rubber (2 are a bit unpleasant!) that you need to take into consideration.

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.

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