Flat Glass Group Co., Ltd. (HKG:6865) shareholders have had their patience rewarded with a 26% share price jump in the last month. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 20% over that time.

Although its price has surged higher, there still wouldn't be many who think Flat Glass Group's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 9.2x is worth a mention when the median P/E in Hong Kong is similar at about 10x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

With earnings growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Flat Glass Group has been doing relatively well. One possibility is that the P/E is moderate because investors think this strong earnings performance might be about to tail off. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

How Is Flat Glass Group's Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the market for P/E ratios like Flat Glass Group's to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 32%. As a result, it also grew EPS by 16% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 10% per year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 12% per annum, which is not materially different.

With this information, we can see why Flat Glass Group is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It seems most investors are expecting to see average future growth and are only willing to pay a moderate amount for the stock.

The Final Word

Flat Glass Group's stock has a lot of momentum behind it lately, which has brought its P/E level with the market. We'd say the price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

As we suspected, our examination of Flat Glass Group's analyst forecasts revealed that its market-matching earnings outlook is contributing to its current P/E. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings won't throw up any surprises. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to support the share price at these levels.

Having said that, be aware Flat Glass Group is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.

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.