With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 19.3x Chifeng Jilong Gold Mining Co.,Ltd. (SHSE:600988) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios greater than 33x and even P/E's higher than 64x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

With its earnings growth in positive territory compared to the declining earnings of most other companies, Chifeng Jilong Gold MiningLtd has been doing quite well of late. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, possibly more than the market, which has repressed the P/E. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/E?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as low as Chifeng Jilong Gold MiningLtd's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 139% gain to the company's bottom line. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 68% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the six analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 37% over the next year. That's shaping up to be similar to the 38% growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we find it odd that Chifeng Jilong Gold MiningLtd is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Bottom Line On Chifeng Jilong Gold MiningLtd's P/E

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 Chifeng Jilong Gold MiningLtd currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its forecast growth is in line with the wider market. When we see an average earnings outlook with market-like growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/E ratio. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued, but investors seem to think future earnings could see some volatility.

The company's balance sheet is another key area for risk analysis. Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis for Chifeng Jilong Gold MiningLtd with six simple checks on some of these key factors.

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.