ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:002831) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 16.7x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in China, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 33x and even P/E's above 62x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

There hasn't been much to differentiate ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology's and the market's earnings growth lately. It might be that many expect the mediocre earnings performance to degrade, which has repressed the P/E. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

How Is ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology's Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that there was hardly any earnings per share growth to speak of for the company over the past year. Fortunately, a few good years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by 25% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 14% per year as estimated by the ten analysts watching the company. With the market predicted to deliver 26% growth each year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

The Final Word

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

We've established that ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than ShenZhen YUTO Packaging Technology. 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.