Those holding Zhejiang Jiemei Electronic And Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002859) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 29% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 22% over that time.

Following the firm bounce in price, given close to half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 30x, you may consider Zhejiang Jiemei Electronic And Technology as a stock to avoid entirely with its 52.4x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.

Zhejiang Jiemei Electronic And Technology has been struggling lately as its earnings have declined faster than most other companies. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think the company will turn things around completely and accelerate past most others in the market. If not, then existing shareholders may be very nervous about the viability of the share price.

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?

Zhejiang Jiemei Electronic And Technology's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 14%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 25% in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 99% as estimated by the seven analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to only expand by 41%, which is noticeably less attractive.

With this information, we can see why Zhejiang Jiemei Electronic And Technology is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

The Bottom Line On Zhejiang Jiemei Electronic And Technology's P/E

Shares in Zhejiang Jiemei Electronic And Technology have built up some good momentum lately, which has really inflated its 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 Zhejiang Jiemei Electronic And Technology's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

Many other vital risk factors can be found on the company's balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for Zhejiang Jiemei Electronic And Technology with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on 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.