Unpleasant Surprises Could Be In Store For Maxis Berhad's (KLSE:MAXIS) Shares

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 19.4x Maxis Berhad (KLSE:MAXIS) may be sending bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in Malaysia have P/E ratios under 14x and even P/E's lower than 8x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/E.

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Recent times have been advantageous for Maxis Berhad as its earnings have been rising faster than most other companies. It seems that many are expecting the strong earnings performance to persist, which has raised the P/E. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

See our latest analysis for Maxis Berhad

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How Is Maxis Berhad's Growth Trending?

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

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 38% last year. EPS has also lifted 19% in aggregate from three years ago, mostly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 5.6% per annum over the next three years. With the market predicted to deliver 12% growth per year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

In light of this, it's alarming that Maxis Berhad's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On Maxis Berhad'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.

Our examination of Maxis Berhad's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook isn't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted. When we see a weak earnings outlook with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. This places shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 2 warning signs for Maxis Berhad that you need to be mindful of.

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