Optimistic Investors Push FIBERPRO, Inc. (KOSDAQ:368770) Shares Up 25% But Growth Is Lacking

FIBERPRO, Inc. (KOSDAQ:368770) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 25% after a shaky period beforehand. The last 30 days bring the annual gain to a very sharp 87%.

Since its price has surged higher, given close to half the companies in Korea have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 13x, you may consider FIBERPRO as a stock to avoid entirely with its 25.9x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

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FIBERPRO certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. The P/E is probably high because investors think this strong earnings growth will be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

Check out our latest analysis for FIBERPRO

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

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, FIBERPRO would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 70%. Although, its longer-term performance hasn't been as strong with three-year EPS growth being relatively non-existent overall. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 37% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's alarming that FIBERPRO's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

The Final Word

Shares in FIBERPRO have built up some good momentum lately, which has really inflated its P/E. It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

Our examination of FIBERPRO revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. When we see weak earnings with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for FIBERPRO that you should be aware of.

If you're unsure about the strength of FIBERPRO's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.