Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Shanghai New Huang Pu Industrial Group Co., Ltd. (SHSE:600638) share price has dived 26% in the last thirty days, prolonging recent pain. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 33% in that time.

Although its price has dipped substantially, Shanghai New Huang Pu Industrial Group's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 41.1x might still make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in China, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 24x and even P/E's below 15x are quite common. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

For instance, Shanghai New Huang Pu Industrial Group'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. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

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

Shanghai New Huang Pu Industrial Group's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 41%. This has erased any of its gains during the last three years, with practically no change in EPS being achieved in total. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 42% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.

With this information, we find it concerning that Shanghai New Huang Pu Industrial Group 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. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On Shanghai New Huang Pu Industrial Group's P/E

A significant share price dive has done very little to deflate Shanghai New Huang Pu Industrial Group's very lofty P/E. Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

Our examination of Shanghai New Huang Pu Industrial Group 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. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as this earnings performance isn't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. 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.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 4 warning signs for Shanghai New Huang Pu Industrial Group (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Shanghai New Huang Pu Industrial Group, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.