Shenzhen Hopewind Electric Co., Ltd. (SHSE:603063) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 28% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 21% in the last twelve months.

Although its price has surged higher, given about half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 30x, you may still consider Shenzhen Hopewind Electric as an attractive investment with its 20.2x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

Shenzhen Hopewind Electric certainly has been doing a good job lately as its earnings growth has been positive while most other companies have been seeing their earnings go backwards. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, possibly more than the market, 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?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Shenzhen Hopewind Electric would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 82%. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 83% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 28% during the coming year according to the five analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 41% growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we can see why Shenzhen Hopewind Electric is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

The Bottom Line On Shenzhen Hopewind Electric's P/E

Shenzhen Hopewind Electric's stock might have been given a solid boost, but its P/E certainly hasn't reached any great heights. 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.

We've established that Shenzhen Hopewind Electric maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected. 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.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider before investing and we've discovered 1 warning sign for Shenzhen Hopewind Electric that you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and 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.