Daou Technology Inc. (KRX:023590) Looks Inexpensive But Perhaps Not Attractive Enough

Daou Technology Inc.'s (KRX:023590) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 3.5x might make it look like a strong buy right now compared to the market in Korea, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 13x and even P/E's above 26x are quite common. However, the P/E might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at Daou Technology over the last year, which is not ideal at all. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company won't do enough to avoid underperforming the broader market in the near future. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

Check out our latest analysis for Daou Technology

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Daou Technology will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as depressed as Daou Technology's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market decidedly.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 39% decrease to the company's bottom line. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 18% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the market is expected to grow by 28% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term earnings decline into perspective.

With this information, we are not surprised that Daou Technology is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/E has reached a floor yet with earnings going in reverse. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as recent earnings trends are already weighing down the shares.

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 Daou Technology revealed its shrinking earnings over the medium-term are contributing to its low P/E, given the market is set to grow. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future under these circumstances.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Daou Technology (1 doesn't sit too well with us) you should be aware 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.