Zhejiang Hangmin Co.,Ltd (SHSE:600987) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 29% after a shaky period beforehand. Looking further back, the 12% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

Although its price has surged higher, Zhejiang HangminLtd may still be sending very bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 13.6x, since almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios greater than 31x and even P/E's higher than 56x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so limited.

Earnings have risen at a steady rate over the last year for Zhejiang HangminLtd, which is generally not a bad outcome. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this good earnings growth might actually underperform the broader market in the near future. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders may have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

How Is Zhejiang HangminLtd's Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Zhejiang HangminLtd would need to produce anemic growth that's substantially trailing the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 3.5%. The solid recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 16% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing earnings over that time.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 36% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.

In light of this, it's understandable that Zhejiang HangminLtd's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

What We Can Learn From Zhejiang HangminLtd's P/E?

Even after such a strong price move, Zhejiang HangminLtd's P/E still trails the rest of the market significantly. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Zhejiang HangminLtd revealed its three-year earnings trends are contributing to its low P/E, given they look worse than current market expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - Zhejiang HangminLtd has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Zhejiang HangminLtd. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.