When close to half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 34x, you may consider Jiangsu Leili Motor Co., Ltd (SZSE:300660) as an attractive investment with its 29.2x 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 limited.

Jiangsu Leili Motor certainly has been doing a good job lately as its earnings growth has been positive while most other companies have been seeing their earnings go backwards. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company's earnings are going to fall away like everyone else's soon. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

View our latest analysis for Jiangsu Leili Motor

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Jiangsu Leili Motor would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 25% last year. As a result, it also grew EPS by 13% 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.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 47% during the coming year according to the two analysts following the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 43%, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

With this information, we find it odd that Jiangsu Leili Motor is trading at a P/E lower than the market. It looks like most investors are not convinced at all that the company can achieve future growth expectations.

What We Can Learn From Jiangsu Leili Motor's P/E?

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 Jiangsu Leili Motor currently trades on a much lower than expected P/E since its forecast growth is higher than the wider market. When we see a strong earnings outlook with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing significant pressure on the P/E ratio. It appears many are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because these conditions should normally provide a boost to the share price.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Jiangsu Leili Motor that you should be aware of.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Jiangsu Leili Motor, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.