GenusPlus Group Ltd's (ASX:GNP) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 21.7x might make it look like a sell right now compared to the market in Australia, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 17x and even P/E's below 10x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/E.

GenusPlus Group 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.

Check out our latest analysis for GenusPlus Group

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on GenusPlus Group.

Is There Enough Growth For GenusPlus Group?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as high as GenusPlus Group's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 48% last year. The latest three year period has also seen a 22% overall rise in EPS, aided extensively by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 17% per annum during the coming three years according to the dual analysts following the company. With the market predicted to deliver 16% growth per annum, the company is positioned for a comparable earnings result.

In light of this, it's curious that GenusPlus Group's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly average growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. Although, additional gains will be difficult to achieve as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh down the share price eventually.

The Final Word

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 GenusPlus Group'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.

The company's balance sheet is another key area for risk analysis. You can assess many of the main risks through our free balance sheet analysis for GenusPlus Group with six simple checks.

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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