Investors Aren't Entirely Convinced By SKB Shutters Corporation Berhad's (KLSE:SKBSHUT) Earnings

SKB Shutters Corporation Berhad's (KLSE:SKBSHUT) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 6.4x might make it look like a strong buy right now compared to the market in Malaysia, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 16x and even P/E's above 28x 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.

The earnings growth achieved at SKB Shutters Corporation Berhad over the last year would be more than acceptable for most companies. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this respectable earnings growth might actually underperform the broader market in the near future. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

View our latest analysis for SKB Shutters Corporation Berhad

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

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, SKB Shutters Corporation Berhad would need to produce anemic growth that's substantially trailing the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 28% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 276% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 17% shows it's noticeably more attractive on an annualised basis.

In light of this, it's peculiar that SKB Shutters Corporation Berhad's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders believe the recent performance has exceeded its limits and have been accepting significantly lower selling prices.

The Final Word

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

Our examination of SKB Shutters Corporation Berhad revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't contributing to its P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look better than current market expectations. When we see strong earnings with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing significant pressure on the P/E ratio. At least price risks look to be very low if recent medium-term earnings trends continue, but investors seem to think future earnings could see a lot of volatility.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for SKB Shutters Corporation Berhad you should know about.

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.