When close to half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 35x, you may consider Zbom Home Collection Co.,Ltd (SHSE:603801) as a highly attractive investment with its 10x 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.

Zbom Home CollectionLtd has been struggling lately as its earnings have declined faster than most other companies. It seems that many are expecting the dismal earnings performance to persist, which has repressed the P/E. If you still like the company, you'd want its earnings trajectory to turn around before making any decisions. If not, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

How Is Zbom Home CollectionLtd's Growth Trending?

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

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 12%. This has soured the latest three-year period, which nevertheless managed to deliver a decent 5.5% overall rise in EPS. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would be roughly satisfied with the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 10% during the coming year according to the eleven analysts following the company. With the market predicted to deliver 38% growth , the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

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

The Final Word

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.

We've established that Zbom Home CollectionLtd 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.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Zbom Home CollectionLtd (1 is concerning) 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.