Those holding Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. China (SHSE:688012) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 28% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 34% in the last year.

After such a large jump in price, Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment China may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 50.9x, since almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios under 28x and even P/E's lower than 17x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment China 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. It seems that many are expecting the company to continue defying the broader market adversity, which has increased investors' willingness to pay up for the stock. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment China would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 52%. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 213% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 20% each year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be similar to the 22% per year growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's curious that Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment China's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Bottom Line On Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment China's P/E

The strong share price surge has got Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment China's P/E rushing to great heights as well. 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.

Our examination of Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment China's analyst forecasts revealed that its market-matching earnings outlook isn't impacting its high P/E as much as we would have predicted. Right now we are uncomfortable with the relatively high share price as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. This places shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

A lot of potential risks can sit within a company's balance sheet. Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis for Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment China with six simple checks on some of these key factors.

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.