To the annoyance of some shareholders, MBV International Limited (HKG:1957) shares are down a considerable 28% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. Looking at the bigger picture, even after this poor month the stock is up 47% in the last year.

Even after such a large drop in price, given around half the companies in Hong Kong have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 9x, you may still consider MBV International as a stock to potentially avoid with its 12.6x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/E.

With earnings growth that's exceedingly strong of late, MBV International has been doing very well. The P/E is probably high because investors think this strong earnings growth will be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

See our latest analysis for MBV International

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, MBV International would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 31% last year. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 86% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 23% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is pretty similar based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.

In light of this, it's curious that MBV International's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly average recent growth rates and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. Although, additional gains will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent earnings trends would weigh down the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On MBV International's P/E

MBV International's P/E hasn't come down all the way after its stock plunged. 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 MBV International revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its high P/E as much as we would have predicted, given they look similar to current market expectations. When we see average earnings with market-like growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high 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.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we've discovered 3 warning signs for MBV International (2 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.