Vibrant Group Limited (SGX:BIP) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 27% after a shaky period beforehand. Taking a wider view, although not as strong as the last month, the full year gain of 20% is also fairly reasonable.

Following the firm bounce in price, Vibrant Group may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 73.9x, since almost half of all companies in Singapore have P/E ratios under 11x and even P/E's lower than 7x 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 so lofty.

Vibrant Group certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. It seems that many are expecting the strong earnings performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

See our latest analysis for Vibrant Group

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 Vibrant Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Enough Growth For Vibrant Group?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Vibrant Group would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 246%. Despite this strong recent growth, it's still struggling to catch up as its three-year EPS frustratingly shrank by 81% overall. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 7.5% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term earnings results is a sobering picture.

In light of this, it's alarming that Vibrant Group's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Final Word

Shares in Vibrant Group have built up some good momentum lately, which has really inflated its P/E. While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

We've established that Vibrant Group currently trades on a much higher than expected P/E since its recent earnings have been in decline over the medium-term. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as this earnings performance is highly unlikely to support such positive sentiment for long. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

Plus, you should also learn about these 5 warning signs we've spotted with Vibrant Group (including 2 which can't be ignored).

If you're unsure about the strength of Vibrant Group's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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