Stock Analysis
Earnings Working Against Arrow Greentech Limited's (NSE:ARROWGREEN) Share Price Following 28% Dive
Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Arrow Greentech Limited (NSE:ARROWGREEN) share price has dived 28% in the last thirty days, prolonging recent pain. Still, a bad month hasn't completely ruined the past year with the stock gaining 41%, which is great even in a bull market.
Although its price has dipped substantially, Arrow Greentech may still be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 14.1x, since almost half of all companies in India have P/E ratios greater than 27x and even P/E's higher than 51x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.
Recent times have been quite advantageous for Arrow Greentech as its earnings have been rising very briskly. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this strong earnings growth might actually underperform the broader market in the near future. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.
Check out our latest analysis for Arrow Greentech
What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/E?
Arrow Greentech's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the market.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 91% last year. Still, EPS has barely risen at all from three years ago in total, which is not ideal. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time.
Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 26% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.
With this information, we can see why Arrow Greentech is trading at a P/E lower than the market. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.
The Key Takeaway
The softening of Arrow Greentech's shares means its P/E is now sitting at a pretty low level. We'd say the price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.
As we suspected, our examination of Arrow Greentech revealed its three-year earnings trends are contributing to its low P/E, given they look worse than current market expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 2 warning signs for Arrow Greentech that you need to be mindful of.
You might be able to find a better investment than Arrow Greentech. 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.
About NSEI:ARROWGREEN
Arrow Greentech
Engages in the manufacture and sale of water-soluble films, and bio-compostable and other green products in India and internationally.