Despite an already strong run, Jiangxi Bestoo Energy Co.,Ltd. (SZSE:001376) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 25% in the last thirty days. Longer-term shareholders would be thankful for the recovery in the share price since it's now virtually flat for the year after the recent bounce.

Following the firm bounce in price, Jiangxi Bestoo EnergyLtd may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 74.6x, since almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios under 32x and even P/E's lower than 20x 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.

The earnings growth achieved at Jiangxi Bestoo EnergyLtd over the last year would be more than acceptable for most companies. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this respectable earnings growth will be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

How Is Jiangxi Bestoo EnergyLtd's Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Jiangxi Bestoo EnergyLtd would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 19% gain to the company's bottom line. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 36% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 39% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this information, we find it concerning that Jiangxi Bestoo EnergyLtd is trading at a P/E higher than the market. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

What We Can Learn From Jiangxi Bestoo EnergyLtd's P/E?

Jiangxi Bestoo EnergyLtd's P/E is flying high just like its stock has during the last month. 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 Jiangxi Bestoo EnergyLtd revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. When we see weak earnings with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Jiangxi Bestoo EnergyLtd that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than Jiangxi Bestoo EnergyLtd. 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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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.