With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 44.2x DongHua Testing Technology Co. , Ltd. (SZSE:300354) may be sending bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios under 35x and even P/E's lower than 20x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Recent times have been pleasing for DongHua Testing Technology as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse. The P/E is probably high because investors think the company will continue to navigate the broader market headwinds better than most. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

View our latest analysis for DongHua Testing Technology

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, DongHua Testing Technology would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 50% last year. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 339% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the dual analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 80% over the next year. With the market only predicted to deliver 43%, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

With this information, we can see why DongHua Testing Technology is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

The Bottom Line On DongHua Testing Technology's P/E

It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

As we suspected, our examination of DongHua Testing Technology'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.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for DongHua Testing Technology (1 is concerning!) that you should be aware of.

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.