China Lesso Group Holdings Limited (HKG:2128) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 26% after a shaky period beforehand. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 27% in the last twelve months.

Even after such a large jump in price, China Lesso Group Holdings' price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 4.8x might still make it look like a strong buy right now compared to the market in Hong Kong, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 10x and even P/E's above 19x are quite common. 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.

China Lesso Group Holdings could be doing better as its earnings have been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive earnings growth. It seems that many are expecting the dour earnings performance to persist, which has repressed the P/E. If this is the case, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

Is There Any Growth For China Lesso Group Holdings?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, China Lesso Group Holdings would need to produce anemic growth that's substantially trailing the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 6.1% decrease to the company's bottom line. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 37% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 9.5% per year during the coming three years according to the seven analysts following the company. With the market predicted to deliver 16% growth per year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that China Lesso Group Holdings' P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see limited future growth and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

The Key Takeaway

Shares in China Lesso Group Holdings are going to need a lot more upward momentum to get the company's P/E out of its slump. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of China Lesso Group Holdings' analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook is contributing to its low P/E. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for China Lesso Group Holdings that you should be aware of.

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.