Those holding CNNC International Limited (HKG:2302) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 33% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. The last 30 days bring the annual gain to a very sharp 46%.

Even after such a large jump in price, there still wouldn't be many who think CNNC International's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 9.5x is worth a mention when the median P/E in Hong Kong is similar at about 10x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/E ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

Earnings have risen firmly for CNNC International recently, which is pleasing to see. One possibility is that the P/E is moderate because investors think this respectable earnings growth might not be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders probably aren't too pessimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Is There Some Growth For CNNC International?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the market for P/E ratios like CNNC International's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 27% gain to the company's bottom line. Still, EPS has barely risen at all from three years ago in total, which is not ideal. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing earnings over that time.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 22% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.

In light of this, it's curious that CNNC International's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Bottom Line On CNNC International's P/E

CNNC International's stock has a lot of momentum behind it lately, which has brought its P/E level with the market. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

Our examination of CNNC International revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its P/E 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 moderate P/E lower. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - CNNC International has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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