Blue Jet Healthcare Limited (NSE:BLUEJET) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 30% after a shaky period beforehand. The last month tops off a massive increase of 137% in the last year.
Since its price has surged higher, Blue Jet Healthcare may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 50.5x, since almost half of all companies in India have P/E ratios under 27x and even P/E's lower than 16x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.
Blue Jet Healthcare certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing earnings more than most other companies. It seems that many are expecting the strong earnings performance to persist, which has raised the P/E. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
See our latest analysis for Blue Jet Healthcare
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Blue Jet Healthcare's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 86% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 68% 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.
Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 20% per year during the coming three years according to the seven analysts following the company. With the market predicted to deliver 21% growth per annum, the company is positioned for a comparable earnings result.
With this information, we find it interesting that Blue Jet Healthcare is trading at a high P/E compared to the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly average growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.
The strong share price surge has got Blue Jet Healthcare's P/E rushing to great heights as well. 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.
Our examination of Blue Jet Healthcare's analyst forecasts revealed that its market-matching earnings outlook isn't impacting its high P/E as much as we would have predicted. When we see an average earnings outlook with market-like growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. Unless these conditions improve, it's challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.
Before you take the next step, you should know about the 2 warning signs for Blue Jet Healthcare (1 is potentially serious!) that we have uncovered.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a low P/E.
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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.