DongKoo Bio & Pharma Co., Ltd.’s (KOSDAQ:006620) Price Is Out Of Tune With Earnings

DongKoo Bio & Pharma Co., Ltd.’s (KOSDAQ:006620) price-to-earnings (or “P/E”) ratio of 26.2x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in Korea, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 15x and even P/E’s below 8x are quite common. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it’s justified.

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For instance, DongKoo Bio & Pharma’s receding earnings in recent times would have to be some food for thought. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be quite nervous about the viability of the share price.

View our latest analysis for DongKoo Bio & Pharma

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

DongKoo Bio & Pharma’s P/E ratio would be typical for a company that’s expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company’s profits fell to the tune of 53%. The last three years don’t look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 19% in aggregate. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 33% growth in the next 12 months, the company’s downward momentum based on recent medium-term earnings results is a sobering picture.

With this information, we find it concerning that DongKoo Bio & Pharma is trading at a P/E higher than the market. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren’t willing to let go of their stock at any price. There’s a very good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

What We Can Learn From DongKoo Bio & Pharma’s P/E?

We’d say the price-to-earnings ratio’s power isn’t primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

Our examination of DongKoo Bio & Pharma revealed its shrinking earnings over the medium-term aren’t impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given the market is set to grow. When we see earnings heading backwards and underperforming the market forecasts, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it’s very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we’ve discovered 4 warning signs for DongKoo Bio & Pharma (2 are concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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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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.