Market Participants Recognise HCK Capital Group Berhad's (KLSE:HCK) Earnings

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 72.1x HCK Capital Group Berhad (KLSE:HCK) may be sending very bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in Malaysia have P/E ratios under 13x and even P/E's lower than 8x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

HCK Capital Group Berhad certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. The P/E is probably high because investors think this strong earnings growth will be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for HCK Capital Group Berhad

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

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the market for P/E ratios like HCK Capital Group Berhad's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 412% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 61% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Comparing that to the market, which is only predicted to deliver 11% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is stronger based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.

In light of this, it's understandable that HCK Capital Group Berhad's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Presumably shareholders aren't keen to offload something they believe will continue to outmanoeuvre the bourse.

What We Can Learn From HCK Capital Group Berhad's P/E?

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

We've established that HCK Capital Group Berhad maintains its high P/E on the strength of its recent three-year growth being higher than the wider market forecast, as expected. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident earnings aren't under threat. Unless the recent medium-term conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 4 warning signs for HCK Capital Group Berhad (3 don't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than HCK Capital Group Berhad. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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.

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