Kingfa Sci. & Tech. Co., Ltd.'s (SHSE:600143) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 15.7x might make it look like a strong buy right now compared to the market in China, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 34x and even P/E's above 62x 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 its earnings growth in positive territory compared to the declining earnings of most other companies, Kingfa Sci. & Tech has been doing quite well of late. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company's earnings are going to fall away like everyone else's soon. 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 Kingfa Sci. & Tech

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

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as depressed as Kingfa Sci. & Tech's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market decidedly.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow earnings per share by a handy 8.8% last year. Ultimately though, it couldn't turn around the poor performance of the prior period, with EPS shrinking 70% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 36% during the coming year according to the two analysts following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 43%, which is noticeably more attractive.

In light of this, it's understandable that Kingfa Sci. & Tech's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

What We Can Learn From Kingfa Sci. & Tech's P/E?

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.

As we suspected, our examination of Kingfa Sci. & Tech's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook is contributing to its low P/E. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Having said that, be aware Kingfa Sci. & Tech is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant.

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.