When close to half the companies in Hong Kong have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 10x, you may consider Accel Group Holdings Limited (HKG:1283) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 16.9x P/E ratio. 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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The recent earnings growth at Accel Group Holdings would have to be considered satisfactory if not spectacular. It might be that many expect the reasonable 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.

View our latest analysis for Accel Group Holdings

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 Accel Group Holdings' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Enough Growth For Accel Group Holdings?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Accel Group Holdings' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 4.2%. Still, lamentably EPS has fallen 40% in aggregate from three years ago, which is disappointing. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Weighing that medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 18% shows it's an unpleasant look.

In light of this, it's alarming that Accel Group Holdings' 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. 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.

The Key Takeaway

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

Our examination of Accel Group Holdings 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. 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. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Having said that, be aware Accel Group Holdings is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is a bit concerning.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Accel Group Holdings, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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.