WindSun Science&Technology Co.,Ltd. (SHSE:688663) shareholders have had their patience rewarded with a 27% share price jump in the last month. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 18% in the last twelve months.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, WindSun Science&TechnologyLtd's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 19.8x might still make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in China, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 33x and even P/E's above 63x are quite common. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

WindSun Science&TechnologyLtd certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this strong earnings growth might actually underperform the broader market in the near future. 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.

How Is WindSun Science&TechnologyLtd's Growth Trending?

WindSun Science&TechnologyLtd's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 38%. EPS has also lifted 16% in aggregate from three years ago, mostly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 38% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.

With this information, we can see why WindSun Science&TechnologyLtd is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the bourse.

The Bottom Line On WindSun Science&TechnologyLtd's P/E

The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift WindSun Science&TechnologyLtd's P/E close to the market median. Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

As we suspected, our examination of WindSun Science&TechnologyLtd revealed its three-year earnings trends are contributing to its low P/E, given they look worse than current market expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with WindSun Science&TechnologyLtd, and understanding should be part of your investment process.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than WindSun Science&TechnologyLtd. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.