Why Investors Shouldn't Be Surprised By Haypp Group AB (publ)'s (STO:HAYPP) 26% Share Price Surge

Despite an already strong run, Haypp Group AB (publ) (STO:HAYPP) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 26% in the last thirty days. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 89% in the last year.

Since its price has surged higher, Haypp Group may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 76.6x, since almost half of all companies in Sweden have P/E ratios under 23x and even P/E's lower than 15x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

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With earnings growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Haypp Group has been doing relatively well. 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.

View our latest analysis for Haypp Group

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Haypp Group will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

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

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 338% gain to the company's bottom line. However, the latest three year period hasn't been as great in aggregate as it didn't manage to provide any growth at all. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 45% each year during the coming three years according to the lone analyst following the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 18% per annum growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's understandable that Haypp 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 Key Takeaway

Shares in Haypp Group have built up some good momentum lately, which has really inflated its P/E. Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

As we suspected, our examination of Haypp Group's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

A lot of potential risks can sit within a company's balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for Haypp Group with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Haypp 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.