The Hunan Haili Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. (SHSE:600731) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 25%. Looking further back, the 12% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, Hunan Haili Chemical Industry's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 14.5x might still make it look like a strong buy right now compared to the market in China, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 35x and even P/E's above 63x 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.

For instance, Hunan Haili Chemical Industry's receding earnings in recent times would have to be some food for thought. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company won't do enough to avoid underperforming the broader market in the near future. However, if this doesn't eventuate then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

View our latest analysis for Hunan Haili Chemical Industry

How Is Hunan Haili Chemical Industry's Growth Trending?

Hunan Haili Chemical Industry's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very poor growth or even falling earnings, and importantly, perform much worse than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 3.5%. Even so, admirably EPS has lifted 101% in aggregate from three years ago, notwithstanding the last 12 months. Although it's been a bumpy ride, it's still fair to say the earnings growth recently has been more than adequate for the company.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 37% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.

With this information, we can see why Hunan Haili Chemical Industry 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 Final Word

Hunan Haili Chemical Industry's recent share price jump still sees its P/E sitting firmly flat on the ground. 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.

We've established that Hunan Haili Chemical Industry maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider market forecast, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 1 warning sign for Hunan Haili Chemical Industry that we have uncovered.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a P/E below 20x.

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