Krishna Defence and Allied Industries Limited (NSE:KRISHNADEF) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 25% after a shaky period beforehand. Looking further back, the 13% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.
Following the firm bounce in price, Krishna Defence and Allied Industries' price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 43.8x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in India, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 25x and even P/E's below 14x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.
Recent times have been quite advantageous for Krishna Defence and Allied Industries as its earnings have been rising very briskly. 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. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.
Check out our latest analysis for Krishna Defence and Allied Industries
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Krishna Defence and Allied Industries' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 56% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 631% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.
Comparing that to the market, which is only predicted to deliver 25% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is stronger based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.
In light of this, it's understandable that Krishna Defence and Allied Industries' P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Presumably shareholders aren't keen to offload something they believe will continue to outmanoeuvre the bourse.
The strong share price surge has got Krishna Defence and Allied Industries' P/E rushing to great heights as well. 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.
As we suspected, our examination of Krishna Defence and Allied Industries revealed its three-year earnings trends are contributing to its high P/E, given they look better than current market expectations. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident earnings aren't under threat. Unless the recent medium-term conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.
Many other vital risk factors can be found on the company's balance sheet. Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis for Krishna Defence and Allied Industries with six simple checks on some of these key factors.
Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Krishna Defence and Allied Industries. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.
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.