When close to half the companies in Hong Kong have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 9x, you may consider HK Electric Investments and HK Electric Investments Limited (HKG:2638) as a stock to potentially avoid with its 14.8x P/E ratio. However, the P/E might be high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

With earnings growth that's superior to most other companies of late, HK Electric Investments and HK Electric Investments has been doing relatively well. 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 HK Electric Investments and HK Electric Investments

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on HK Electric Investments and HK Electric Investments.

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

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 2.6% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen a 11% overall rise in EPS, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been respectable for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 3.7% per year as estimated by the six analysts watching the company. With the market predicted to deliver 12% growth per year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

With this information, we find it concerning that HK Electric Investments and HK Electric Investments is trading at a P/E higher than the market. It seems most investors are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects, but the analyst cohort is not so confident this will happen. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Key Takeaway

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 HK Electric Investments and HK Electric Investments' analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook isn't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless these conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for HK Electric Investments and HK Electric Investments (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of.

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.

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.