Nanhua Futures Co., Ltd.'s (SHSE:603093) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 15.4x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in China, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 30x and even P/E's above 55x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

Recent times have been quite advantageous for Nanhua Futures as its earnings have been rising very briskly. 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 that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Is There Any Growth For Nanhua Futures?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 52% gain to the company's bottom line. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 306% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 34% over the next year, materially lower than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this information, we find it odd that Nanhua Futures 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 Final Word

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 Nanhua Futures 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.

Many other vital risk factors can be found on the company's balance sheet. Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis for Nanhua Futures with six simple checks on some of these key factors.

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.