WITHTECH Co., LTD.'s (KOSDAQ:348350) Shares Climb 26% But Its Business Is Yet to Catch Up

WITHTECH Co., LTD. (KOSDAQ:348350) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 26% gain in the last month alone. Looking further back, the 12% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

Since its price has surged higher, WITHTECH's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 27.8x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in Korea, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 13x and even P/E's below 7x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.

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As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at WITHTECH over the last year, which is not ideal at all. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be quite nervous about the viability of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for WITHTECH

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

How Is WITHTECH's Growth Trending?

WITHTECH's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the market.

Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 43%. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 65% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Weighing that medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 28% shows it's an unpleasant look.

With this information, we find it concerning that WITHTECH is trading at a P/E higher than the market. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. There's a very good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

The Final Word

The strong share price surge has got WITHTECH's P/E rushing to great heights as well. While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

Our examination of WITHTECH revealed its shrinking earnings over the medium-term aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given the market is set to grow. When we see earnings heading backwards and underperforming the market forecasts, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

You need to take note of risks, for example - WITHTECH has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is concerning) we think you should know about.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on WITHTECH, 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.