Chengdu RML Technology Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:301050) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 28.9x 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 33x and even P/E's above 63x are quite common. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Recent times have been advantageous for Chengdu RML Technology as its earnings have been rising faster than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like Chengdu RML Technology's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 21% gain to the company's bottom line. As a result, it also grew EPS by 22% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 38% as estimated by the two analysts watching the company. With the market predicted to deliver 38% growth , the company is positioned for a comparable earnings result.

With this information, we find it odd that Chengdu RML Technology is trading at a P/E lower than the market. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.

What We Can Learn From Chengdu RML Technology'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.

We've established that Chengdu RML Technology currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its forecast growth is in line with the wider market. There could be some unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching the outlook. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued, but investors seem to think future earnings could see some volatility.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Chengdu RML Technology that you should be aware of.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a low P/E.

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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.