Tianshui Zhongxing Bio-technology Co.,Ltd. (SZSE:002772) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 25% share price drop in the last month. Instead of being rewarded, shareholders who have already held through the last twelve months are now sitting on a 37% share price drop.

Even after such a large drop in price, given about half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 25x, you may still consider Tianshui Zhongxing Bio-technologyLtd as a highly attractive investment with its 10.8x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly reduced P/E.

For example, consider that Tianshui Zhongxing Bio-technologyLtd's financial performance has been pretty ordinary lately as earnings growth is non-existent. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this benign earnings growth rate will likely underperform the broader market in the near future. 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.

Is There Any Growth For Tianshui Zhongxing Bio-technologyLtd?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as depressed as Tianshui Zhongxing Bio-technologyLtd's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market decidedly.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's bottom line as the year before. Fortunately, a few good years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by 28% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 42% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this information, we can see why Tianshui Zhongxing Bio-technologyLtd is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the bourse.

The Bottom Line On Tianshui Zhongxing Bio-technologyLtd's P/E

Shares in Tianshui Zhongxing Bio-technologyLtd have plummeted and its P/E is now low enough to touch the ground. 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 Tianshui Zhongxing Bio-technologyLtd maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider market forecast, 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. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - Tianshui Zhongxing Bio-technologyLtd has 1 warning sign we think 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.