There Is A Reason Kretam Holdings Berhad's (KLSE:KRETAM) Price Is Undemanding

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 8.8x Kretam Holdings Berhad (KLSE:KRETAM) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in Malaysia have P/E ratios greater than 14x and even P/E's higher than 25x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

Kretam Holdings Berhad certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this strong earnings growth might actually underperform the broader market in the near future. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

See our latest analysis for Kretam Holdings Berhad

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Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Kretam Holdings Berhad will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

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

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as low as Kretam Holdings Berhad's 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 terrific increase of 112%. Still, EPS has barely risen at all from three years ago in total, which is not ideal. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 8.7% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.

In light of this, it's understandable that Kretam Holdings Berhad's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

What We Can Learn From Kretam Holdings Berhad's P/E?

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

We've established that Kretam Holdings Berhad maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider market forecast, as expected. 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.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Kretam Holdings Berhad you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of Kretam Holdings Berhad's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.

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