Some Confidence Is Lacking In Ambica Agarbathies Aroma & Industries Limited's (NSE:AMBICAAGAR) P/E

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 36.3x Ambica Agarbathies Aroma & Industries Limited (NSE:AMBICAAGAR) may be sending bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in India have P/E ratios under 29x and even P/E's lower than 17x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/E.

Ambica Agarbathies Aroma & Industries certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. The P/E is probably high because investors think this strong earnings growth will be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

View our latest analysis for Ambica Agarbathies Aroma & Industries

Although there are no analyst estimates available for Ambica Agarbathies Aroma & Industries, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as high as Ambica Agarbathies Aroma & Industries' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 346% last year. Despite this strong recent growth, it's still struggling to catch up as its three-year EPS frustratingly shrank by 59% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 25% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term earnings results is a sobering picture.

With this information, we find it concerning that Ambica Agarbathies Aroma & Industries is trading at a P/E higher than the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a very good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

The Key Takeaway

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.

We've established that Ambica Agarbathies Aroma & Industries currently trades on a much higher than expected P/E since its recent earnings have been in decline over the medium-term. When we see earnings heading backwards and underperforming the market forecasts, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 3 warning signs for Ambica Agarbathies Aroma & Industries that we have uncovered.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Ambica Agarbathies Aroma & Industries, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.