Hiecise Precision Equipment Co.,Ltd. (SZSE:300809) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 25% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Taking a wider view, although not as strong as the last month, the full year gain of 17% is also fairly reasonable.

After such a large jump in price, Hiecise Precision EquipmentLtd may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 56.8x, since almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios under 30x and even P/E's lower than 18x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

Recent times have been pleasing for Hiecise Precision EquipmentLtd as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse. 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.

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

Hiecise Precision EquipmentLtd'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 growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 279%. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 294% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 9.1% as estimated by the two analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 41% growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's alarming that Hiecise Precision EquipmentLtd's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects, but the analyst cohort is not so confident this will happen. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On Hiecise Precision EquipmentLtd's P/E

Shares in Hiecise Precision EquipmentLtd have built up some good momentum lately, which has really inflated its P/E. Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

Our examination of Hiecise Precision EquipmentLtd's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook isn't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless these conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Hiecise Precision EquipmentLtd (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than Hiecise Precision EquipmentLtd. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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