With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 21.6x Thinkingdom Media Group Ltd. (SHSE:603096) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios greater than 34x and even P/E's higher than 62x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

Thinkingdom Media Group certainly has been doing a good job lately as its earnings growth has been positive while most other companies have been seeing their earnings go backwards. 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.

View our latest analysis for Thinkingdom Media Group

How Is Thinkingdom Media Group's Growth Trending?

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

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow earnings per share by a handy 11% last year. Still, lamentably EPS has fallen 33% in aggregate from three years ago, which is disappointing. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the four analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 36% over the next year. With the market predicted to deliver 44% growth , the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Thinkingdom Media Group's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

The Bottom Line On Thinkingdom Media Group's P/E

While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

We've established that Thinkingdom Media Group maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Thinkingdom Media Group that you should be aware of.

If you're unsure about the strength of Thinkingdom Media Group's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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