There wouldn't be many who think Miura Co., Ltd.'s (TSE:6005) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 14.3x is worth a mention when the median P/E in Japan is similar at about 14x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/E ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.
Recent times have been advantageous for Miura as its earnings have been rising faster than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to wane, which has kept the P/E from rising. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.
View our latest analysis for Miura
Does Growth Match The P/E?
In order to justify its P/E ratio, Miura would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 34% gain to the company's bottom line. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 69% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.
Shifting to the future, estimates from the four analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 7.7% each year over the next three years. That's shaping up to be similar to the 9.3% per annum growth forecast for the broader market.
In light of this, it's understandable that Miura's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see average future growth and are only willing to pay a moderate amount for the stock.
The Final Word
Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.
As we suspected, our examination of Miura's analyst forecasts revealed that its market-matching earnings outlook is contributing to its current P/E. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings won't throw up any surprises. It's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future under these circumstances.
You always need to take note of risks, for example - Miura has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.
It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and 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.