Why Investors Shouldn't Be Surprised By Intellego Technologies AB's (STO:INT) Low P/E

When close to half the companies in Sweden have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 23x, you may consider Intellego Technologies AB (STO:INT) as an attractive investment with its 14.7x 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.

Earnings have risen firmly for Intellego Technologies recently, which is pleasing to see. It might be that many expect the respectable earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

View our latest analysis for Intellego Technologies

Although there are no analyst estimates available for Intellego Technologies, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Any Growth For Intellego Technologies?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as low as Intellego Technologies' is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 12%. Still, EPS has barely risen at all in aggregate from three years ago, which is not ideal. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 29% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.

In light of this, it's understandable that Intellego Technologies' P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the bourse.

The Final Word

It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

As we suspected, our examination of Intellego Technologies revealed its three-year earnings trends are contributing to its low P/E, given they look worse than current market expectations. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 1 warning sign for Intellego Technologies that you need to be mindful 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.