When close to half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 36x, you may consider Tianjin Capital Environmental Protection Group Company Limited (SHSE:600874) as a highly attractive investment with its 10.5x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so limited.

Earnings have risen firmly for Tianjin Capital Environmental Protection Group recently, which is pleasing to see. It might be that many expect the respectable earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

How Is Tianjin Capital Environmental Protection Group's Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as depressed as Tianjin Capital Environmental Protection Group's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market decidedly.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow earnings per share by a handy 13% last year. EPS has also lifted 20% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 40% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's understandable that Tianjin Capital Environmental Protection Group's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the bourse.

The Key Takeaway

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.

We've established that Tianjin Capital Environmental Protection Group maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider market forecast, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Tianjin Capital Environmental Protection Group (1 is potentially serious!) that 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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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.