When close to half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 30x, you may consider Bestway Marine & Energy Technology Co.,Ltd (SZSE:300008) as a stock to potentially avoid with its 42.3x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/E.

Recent times have been advantageous for Bestway Marine & Energy TechnologyLtd as its earnings have been rising faster than most other companies. It seems that many are expecting the strong earnings performance to persist, which has raised the P/E. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Is There Enough Growth For Bestway Marine & Energy TechnologyLtd?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as high as Bestway Marine & Energy TechnologyLtd's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 66% last year. Although, its longer-term performance hasn't been as strong with three-year EPS growth being relatively non-existent overall. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 107% during the coming year according to the only analyst following the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 39%, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Bestway Marine & Energy TechnologyLtd's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

The Bottom Line On Bestway Marine & Energy TechnologyLtd's P/E

Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

As we suspected, our examination of Bestway Marine & Energy TechnologyLtd's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Bestway Marine & Energy TechnologyLtd you should know about.

You might be able to find a better investment than Bestway Marine & Energy TechnologyLtd. 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.