The Wave Cyber (Shanghai)Co., Ltd. (SHSE:688718) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 41%. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 28% in the last twelve months.

Since its price has surged higher, Wave Cyber (Shanghai)Co may be sending bearish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 46.6x, since almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios under 33x and even P/E's lower than 20x 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 as high as it is.

With earnings that are retreating more than the market's of late, Wave Cyber (Shanghai)Co has been very sluggish. 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.

How Is Wave Cyber (Shanghai)Co's Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as high as Wave Cyber (Shanghai)Co's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 12% decrease to the company's bottom line. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 47% in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the lone analyst covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 16% per annum over the next three years. With the market predicted to deliver 19% growth per year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

In light of this, it's alarming that Wave Cyber (Shanghai)Co'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 Final Word

Wave Cyber (Shanghai)Co shares have received a push in the right direction, but its P/E is elevated too. 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.

We've established that Wave Cyber (Shanghai)Co currently trades on a much higher than expected P/E since its forecast growth is lower than the wider market. 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. This places shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 1 warning sign for Wave Cyber (Shanghai)Co that we have uncovered.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Wave Cyber (Shanghai)Co. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.