When close to half the companies in Hong Kong have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 10x, you may consider Swire Properties Limited (HKG:1972) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 41.4x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.

Swire Properties could be doing better as its earnings have been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive earnings growth. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this poor earnings performance will turn the corner. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

See our latest analysis for Swire Properties

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

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

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 62% decrease to the company's bottom line. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 56% in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 65% per year during the coming three years according to the analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 12% per year growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's understandable that Swire Properties' P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

The Bottom Line On Swire Properties' 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 Swire Properties maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Plus, you should also learn about these 3 warning signs we've spotted with Swire Properties (including 1 which is concerning).

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a low P/E.

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