Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad's (KLSE:TRIMODE) Price Is Right But Growth Is Lacking

When close to half the companies in Malaysia have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 16x, you may consider Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad (KLSE:TRIMODE) as an attractive investment with its 12.6x 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 limited.

For instance, Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad's receding earnings in recent times would have to be some food for thought. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company won't do enough to avoid underperforming the broader market in the near future. However, if this doesn't eventuate then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

View our latest analysis for Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 63% decrease to the company's bottom line. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 18% in aggregate. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the market is expected to grow by 16% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term earnings decline into perspective.

With this information, we are not surprised that Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/E has reached a floor yet with earnings going in reverse. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as recent earnings trends are already weighing down the shares.

The Key Takeaway

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.

As we suspected, our examination of Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad revealed its shrinking earnings over the medium-term are contributing to its low P/E, given the market is set to grow. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Tri-Mode System (M) Berhad (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of.

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.