The BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (SHSE:688166) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 31%. The last month has meant the stock is now only up 2.2% during the last year.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, given around half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 29x, you may still consider BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology as a stock to potentially avoid with its 43.4x P/E ratio. However, the P/E might be high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

For instance, BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology's receding earnings in recent times would have to be some food for thought. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be quite nervous about the viability of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology

Is There Enough Growth For BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 15%. Regardless, EPS has managed to lift by a handy 29% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the earlier period of growth. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would be roughly satisfied with the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 42% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.

With this information, we find it concerning that BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology is trading at a P/E higher than the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

The Bottom Line On BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology's P/E

BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology's P/E hasn't come down all the way after its stock plunged. 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.

Our examination of BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. When we see weak earnings with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with BrightGene Bio-Medical Technology (including 1 which is significant).

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.