The Price Is Right For Kritika Wires Limited (NSE:KRITIKA) Even After Diving 26%

The Kritika Wires Limited (NSE:KRITIKA) share price has softened a substantial 26% over the previous 30 days, handing back much of the gains the stock has made lately. The good news is that in the last year, the stock has shone bright like a diamond, gaining 257%.

Even after such a large drop in price, Kritika Wires' price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 49.2x might still make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in India, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 30x and even P/E's below 17x are quite common. 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.

Earnings have risen firmly for Kritika Wires recently, which is pleasing to see. It might be that many expect the respectable earnings performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

View our latest analysis for Kritika Wires

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 Kritika Wires' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Enough Growth For Kritika Wires?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the market for P/E ratios like Kritika Wires' to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 30%. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 2,325% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 24% shows it's noticeably more attractive on an annualised basis.

In light of this, it's understandable that Kritika Wires' P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting this strong growth to continue and are willing to pay more for the stock.

The Final Word

Kritika Wires' shares may have retreated, but its P/E is still flying high. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Kritika Wires revealed its three-year earnings trends are contributing to its high P/E, given they look better than current market expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. Unless the recent medium-term conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we've discovered 2 warning signs for Kritika Wires (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

You might be able to find a better investment than Kritika Wires. 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.