There wouldn't be many who think Hunan Jiudian Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:300705) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 32.2x is worth a mention when the median P/E in China is similar at about 30x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/E without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

Recent times have been pleasing for Hunan Jiudian Pharmaceutical as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to deteriorate like the rest, which has kept the P/E from rising. 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 not quite in favour.

How Is Hunan Jiudian Pharmaceutical's Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the market for P/E ratios like Hunan Jiudian Pharmaceutical's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 50% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 388% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the five analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 24% over the next year. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 41%, which is noticeably more attractive.

With this information, we find it interesting that Hunan Jiudian Pharmaceutical is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Bottom Line On Hunan Jiudian Pharmaceutical's P/E

While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

Our examination of Hunan Jiudian Pharmaceutical's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook isn't impacting its P/E as much as we would have predicted. When we see a weak earnings outlook with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the moderate P/E lower. This places shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Hunan Jiudian Pharmaceutical (of which 1 doesn't sit too well with us!) you should know about.

You might be able to find a better investment than Hunan Jiudian Pharmaceutical. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.