When close to half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 30x, you may consider Oriental Pearl Group Co.,Ltd. (SHSE:600637) as a stock to potentially avoid with its 36.2x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/E.

While the market has experienced earnings growth lately, Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's earnings have gone into reverse gear, which is not great. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this poor earnings performance will turn the corner. If not, then existing shareholders may be extremely nervous about the viability of the share price.

How Is Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as high as Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 45%. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 68% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the sole analyst covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 50% over the next year. With the market only predicted to deliver 36%, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

What We Can Learn From Oriental Pearl GroupLtd'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.

As we suspected, our examination of Oriental Pearl GroupLtd's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. 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.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Oriental Pearl GroupLtd that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than Oriental Pearl GroupLtd. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.