Radiowalla Network Limited's (NSE:RADIOWALLA) Popularity With Investors Is Clear

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 49x Radiowalla Network Limited (NSE:RADIOWALLA) may be sending very bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in India have P/E ratios under 32x and even P/E's lower than 18x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Earnings have risen firmly for Radiowalla Network recently, which is pleasing to see. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this respectable earnings growth will be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

See our latest analysis for Radiowalla Network

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 Radiowalla Network's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 29% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 3,549% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 26% over the next year, materially lower than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's understandable that Radiowalla Network's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Presumably shareholders aren't keen to offload something they believe will continue to outmanoeuvre the bourse.

The Final Word

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 Radiowalla Network 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.

Having said that, be aware Radiowalla Network is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 2 of those are a bit unpleasant.

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.