Smartoptics Group ASA (OB:SMOP) Looks Just Right With A 28% Price Jump

The Smartoptics Group ASA (OB:SMOP) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 28%. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 27% in the last year.

Since its price has surged higher, given close to half the companies in Norway have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 12x, you may consider Smartoptics Group as a stock to avoid entirely with its 66.2x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.

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Smartoptics Group hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining earnings compare poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth on average. 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.

See our latest analysis for Smartoptics Group

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What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Smartoptics Group's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 16%. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 36% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 48% each year as estimated by the only analyst watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 20% per annum growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's understandable that Smartoptics Group's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

The Final Word

Smartoptics Group's P/E is flying high just like its stock has during the last month. We'd say the price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

We've established that Smartoptics 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. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

It is also worth noting that we have found 1 warning sign for Smartoptics Group that you need to take into consideration.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Smartoptics Group. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.