Newmark Security plc (LON:NWT) Could Be Riskier Than It Looks

When close to half the companies in the United Kingdom have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 17x, you may consider Newmark Security plc (LON:NWT) as a highly attractive investment with its 4.9x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly reduced P/E.

Recent times have been quite advantageous for Newmark Security as its earnings have been rising very briskly. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this strong earnings growth might actually underperform the broader market in the near future. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

See our latest analysis for Newmark Security

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 Newmark Security's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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

Newmark Security's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very poor growth or even falling earnings, and importantly, perform much worse than the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 471% last year. Still, EPS has barely risen at all from three years ago in total, which is not ideal. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time.

It's interesting to note that the rest of the market is similarly expected to grow by 0.2% over the next year, which is fairly even with the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this information, we find it odd that Newmark Security is trading at a P/E lower than the market. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can maintain recent growth rates.

The Key Takeaway

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 Newmark Security currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its recent three-year growth is in line with the wider market forecast. When we see average earnings with market-like growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/E ratio. It appears some are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions should normally provide more support to the share price.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Newmark Security (at least 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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 P/E below 20x.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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