Cautious Investors Not Rewarding Marco Holdings Berhad's (KLSE:MARCO) Performance Completely

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 8.5x Marco Holdings Berhad (KLSE:MARCO) 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 23x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

The earnings growth achieved at Marco Holdings Berhad over the last year would be more than acceptable for most companies. It might be that many expect the respectable earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. If you 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 Marco Holdings Berhad

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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 Marco Holdings Berhad's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Is Marco Holdings Berhad's Growth Trending?

Marco Holdings Berhad's 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 decent 12% gain to the company's bottom line. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 45% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. 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 8.0% 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 peculiar that Marco Holdings Berhad's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It looks like most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.

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

Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

Our examination of Marco Holdings Berhad revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't contributing to its P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look better than current market expectations. When we see strong earnings with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing significant pressure on the P/E ratio. It appears many are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions would normally provide a boost to the share price.

It is also worth noting that we have found 2 warning signs for Marco Holdings Berhad (1 can't be ignored!) that you need to take into consideration.

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have grown earnings strongly and trade on P/E's below 20x.

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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