What Suheung Co., Ltd.'s (KRX:008490) P/E Is Not Telling You

It's not a stretch to say that Suheung Co., Ltd.'s (KRX:008490) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 12x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in Korea, where the median P/E ratio is around 13x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

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Suheung certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing earnings more 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.

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

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the market for P/E ratios like Suheung's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 265% last year. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen a very unpleasant 61% drop in EPS in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should bring diminished returns, with earnings decreasing 20% as estimated by the one analyst watching the company. Meanwhile, the broader market is forecast to expand by 27%, which paints a poor picture.

In light of this, it's somewhat alarming that Suheung's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects, but the analyst cohort is not so confident this will happen. There's a good chance these shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the negative growth outlook.

The Bottom Line On Suheung's P/E

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.

We've established that Suheung currently trades on a higher than expected P/E for a company whose earnings are forecast to decline. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/E as the predicted future earnings are unlikely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless these conditions improve, it's challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 2 warning signs for Suheung (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you need to be mindful of.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Suheung, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.