TKH Group N.V.'s (AMS:TWEKA) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 22.9x might make it look like a sell right now compared to the market in the Netherlands, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 16x and even P/E's below 11x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's as high as it is.
TKH Group could be doing better as its earnings have been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive earnings growth. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this poor earnings performance will turn the corner. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
View our latest analysis for TKH Group
What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?
In order to justify its P/E ratio, TKH Group would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the market.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 46% decrease to the company's bottom line. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 48% in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.
Shifting to the future, estimates from the seven analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 29% per year over the next three years. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 16% per annum growth forecast for the broader market.
With this information, we can see why TKH Group is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.
The Key Takeaway
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.
We've established that TKH Group maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with TKH Group (at least 1 which is a bit concerning), and understanding these should be part of your investment process.
Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than TKH Group. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.
Valuation is complex, but we're here to simplify it.
Discover if TKH Group might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.
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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.