The Ximei Resources Holding Limited (HKG:9936) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 77%. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 75% share price decline.

Since its price has dipped substantially, Ximei Resources Holding's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 2.6x might make it look like a strong buy right now compared to the market in Hong Kong, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 9x and even P/E's above 19x are quite common. However, the P/E might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

With earnings growth that's exceedingly strong of late, Ximei Resources Holding has been doing very well. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for Ximei Resources Holding

Is There Any Growth For Ximei Resources Holding?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far underperform the market for P/E ratios like Ximei Resources Holding's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 38% last year. However, the latest three year period hasn't been as great in aggregate as it didn't manage to provide any growth at all. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 17% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term earnings results is a sobering picture.

In light of this, it's understandable that Ximei Resources Holding's P/E would sit below the majority of other companies. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/E has reached a floor yet with earnings going in reverse. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as recent earnings trends are already weighing down the shares.

The Bottom Line On Ximei Resources Holding's P/E

Shares in Ximei Resources Holding have plummeted and its P/E is now low enough to touch the ground. It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

We've established that Ximei Resources Holding maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its sliding earnings over the medium-term, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future under these circumstances.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with Ximei Resources Holding.

You might be able to find a better investment than Ximei Resources Holding. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20x (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.