Earnings Not Telling The Story For Qudian Inc. (NYSE:QD) After Shares Rise 26%

Qudian Inc. (NYSE:QD) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 26% after a shaky period beforehand. Looking further back, the 18% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

Since its price has surged higher, given close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 17x, you may consider Qudian as a stock to avoid entirely with its 37.3x 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.

Our free stock report includes 1 warning sign investors should be aware of before investing in Qudian. Read for free now.

Qudian certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. It seems that many are expecting the strong earnings performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

View our latest analysis for Qudian

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 Qudian's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 179% gain to the company's bottom line. Despite this strong recent growth, it's still struggling to catch up as its three-year EPS frustratingly shrank by 76% overall. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Weighing that medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 13% shows it's an unpleasant look.

With this information, we find it concerning that Qudian is trading at a P/E higher than the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a very good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

The Key Takeaway

Qudian's P/E is flying high just like its stock has during the last month. 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.

Our examination of Qudian revealed its shrinking earnings over the medium-term aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given the market is set to grow. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as this earnings performance is highly unlikely to support such positive sentiment for long. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - Qudian has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

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