Risks To Shareholder Returns Are Elevated At These Prices For Hindustan Copper Limited (NSE:HINDCOPPER)

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 45.7x Hindustan Copper Limited (NSE:HINDCOPPER) may be sending very bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in India have P/E ratios under 27x and even P/E's lower than 15x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

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Recent times have been quite advantageous for Hindustan Copper as its earnings have been rising very briskly. It seems that many are expecting the strong earnings performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

See our latest analysis for Hindustan Copper

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Hindustan Copper's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Enough Growth For Hindustan Copper?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Hindustan Copper's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 35% last year. The latest three year period has also seen a 26% overall rise in EPS, aided extensively by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 25% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

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

What We Can Learn From Hindustan Copper's P/E?

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.

Our examination of Hindustan Copper revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as this earnings performance isn't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 1 warning sign for Hindustan Copper that you need to be mindful of.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a low P/E.

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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.