There Is A Reason Finolex Industries Limited's (NSE:FINPIPE) Price Is Undemanding
With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 23x Finolex Industries Limited (NSE:FINPIPE) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in India have P/E ratios greater than 26x and even P/E's higher than 50x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
While the market has experienced earnings growth lately, Finolex Industries' earnings have gone into reverse gear, which is not great. It seems that many are expecting the dour earnings performance to persist, which has repressed the P/E. If you still 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.
See our latest analysis for Finolex Industries
Does Growth Match The Low P/E?
Finolex Industries' P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the market.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 40% decrease to the company's bottom line. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 28% in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.
Shifting to the future, estimates from the ten analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 11% per year over the next three years. With the market predicted to deliver 20% growth each year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.
In light of this, it's understandable that Finolex Industries' P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see limited future growth and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.
The Final Word
While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.
We've established that Finolex Industries maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
There are also other vital risk factors to consider before investing and we've discovered 3 warning signs for Finolex Industries that you should be aware of.
If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Finolex Industries, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.