Park Ha Biological Technology Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ:PHH) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 94% share price drop in the last month. Longer-term shareholders will rue the drop in the share price, since it’s now virtually flat for the year after a promising few quarters.
Even after such a large drop in price, given close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or “P/E’s”) below 18x, you may still consider Park Ha Biological Technology as a stock to avoid entirely with its 60.6x P/E ratio. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it’s justified.
As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at Park Ha Biological Technology over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the company to still outplay most other companies over the coming period, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. You’d really hope so, otherwise you’re paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
See our latest analysis for Park Ha Biological Technology
Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Park Ha Biological Technology will help you shine a light on its historical performance.
How Is Park Ha Biological Technology’s Growth Trending?
Park Ha Biological Technology’s P/E ratio would be typical for a company that’s expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the market.
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 44%. At least EPS has managed not to go completely backwards from three years ago in aggregate, thanks to the earlier period of growth. 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 13% 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 alarming that Park Ha Biological Technology’s P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren’t willing to let go of their stock at any price. There’s a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.
What We Can Learn From Park Ha Biological Technology’s P/E?
A significant share price dive has done very little to deflate Park Ha Biological Technology’s very lofty P/E. 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.
Our examination of Park Ha Biological Technology revealed its three-year earnings trends aren’t impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as this earnings performance isn’t likely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it’s very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.
Having said that, be aware Park Ha Biological Technology is showing 5 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 2 of those make us uncomfortable.
If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.
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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.
