With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 14.8x Jiayou International Logistics Co.,Ltd (SHSE:603871) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios greater than 28x and even P/E's higher than 52x 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 limited.

With its earnings growth in positive territory compared to the declining earnings of most other companies, Jiayou International LogisticsLtd has been doing quite well of late. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company's earnings are going to fall away like everyone else's soon. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

How Is Jiayou International LogisticsLtd's Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Jiayou International LogisticsLtd would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 43% gain to the company's bottom line. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 187% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the seven analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 23% each year over the next three years. With the market only predicted to deliver 19% each year, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Jiayou International LogisticsLtd's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It looks like most investors are not convinced at all that the company can achieve future growth expectations.

What We Can Learn From Jiayou International LogisticsLtd's P/E?

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 Jiayou International LogisticsLtd currently trades on a much lower than expected P/E since its forecast growth is higher than the wider market. When we see a strong earnings outlook with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing significant pressure on the P/E ratio. At least price risks look to be very low, but investors seem to think future earnings could see a lot of volatility.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 1 warning sign for Jiayou International LogisticsLtd that we have uncovered.

You might be able to find a better investment than Jiayou International LogisticsLtd. 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.