Anxian Yuan China Holdings Limited (HKG:922) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 38% gain and recovering from prior weakness. But the gains over the last month weren't enough to make shareholders whole, as the share price is still down 7.0% in the last twelve months.

Although its price has surged higher, Anxian Yuan China Holdings' price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 5.8x might still make it look like a 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. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

For instance, Anxian Yuan China Holdings' receding earnings in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the disappointing earnings performance to continue or accelerate, which has repressed the P/E. 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 Anxian Yuan China Holdings

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

Anxian Yuan China Holdings' P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 18%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 62% in total over the last three years. Although it's been a bumpy ride, it's still fair to say the earnings growth recently has been more than adequate for the company.

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

With this information, we find it odd that Anxian Yuan China Holdings 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 Bottom Line On Anxian Yuan China Holdings' P/E

Despite Anxian Yuan China Holdings' shares building up a head of steam, its P/E still lags most other companies. 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 Anxian Yuan China Holdings revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't contributing to its P/E as much as we would have predicted, given they look similar to current market expectations. 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.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 2 warning signs for Anxian Yuan China Holdings that we have uncovered.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20x).

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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.