When close to half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 36x, you may consider XCMG Construction Machinery Co., Ltd. (SZSE:000425) as a highly attractive investment with its 15.7x 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 so limited.

With its earnings growth in positive territory compared to the declining earnings of most other companies, XCMG Construction Machinery has been doing quite well of late. 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.

Is There Any Growth For XCMG Construction Machinery?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far underperform the market for P/E ratios like XCMG Construction Machinery's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 32% last year. Despite this strong recent growth, it's still struggling to catch up as its three-year EPS frustratingly shrank by 52% overall. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 34% as estimated by the analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 38% growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's understandable that XCMG Construction Machinery'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 Bottom Line On XCMG Construction Machinery'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.

We've established that XCMG Construction Machinery 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.

You need to take note of risks, for example - XCMG Construction Machinery has 3 warning signs (and 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable) we think you should know about.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on 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.