China Electronics Huada Technology Company Limited (HKG:85) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 30% after a shaky period beforehand. Taking a wider view, although not as strong as the last month, the full year gain of 11% is also fairly reasonable.
In spite of the firm bounce in price, China Electronics Huada Technology may still be sending very bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 3.7x, since almost half of all companies in Hong Kong have P/E ratios greater than 9x and even P/E's higher than 18x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly reduced P/E.
China Electronics Huada Technology certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. 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.
What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/E?
In order to justify its P/E ratio, China Electronics Huada Technology would need to produce anemic growth that's substantially trailing the market.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 227% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 486% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.
Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 23% shows it's noticeably more attractive on an annualised basis.
With this information, we find it odd that China Electronics Huada Technology is trading at a P/E lower than the market. It looks like most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.
The Bottom Line On China Electronics Huada Technology's P/E
Shares in China Electronics Huada Technology are going to need a lot more upward momentum to get the company's P/E out of its slump. Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.
Our examination of China Electronics Huada Technology revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't contributing to its P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look better than current market expectations. There could be some major unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching this positive performance. At least price risks look to be very low if recent medium-term earnings trends continue, but investors seem to think future earnings could see a lot of volatility.
And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for China Electronics Huada Technology you should know about.
If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.
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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.