When close to half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 34x, you may consider ShenzhenJingQuanHua Electronics Co.,Ltd. (SZSE:002885) as a stock to potentially avoid with its 49.8x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's as high as it is.

For example, consider that ShenzhenJingQuanHua ElectronicsLtd's financial performance has been poor lately as its earnings have been in decline. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be quite nervous about the viability of the share price.

See our latest analysis for ShenzhenJingQuanHua ElectronicsLtd

Is There Enough Growth For ShenzhenJingQuanHua ElectronicsLtd?

ShenzhenJingQuanHua ElectronicsLtd's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver solid growth, and importantly, perform better than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 14%. Still, the latest three year period has seen an excellent 107% overall rise in EPS, in spite of its unsatisfying short-term performance. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would probably welcome 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 44% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.

With this information, we find it concerning that ShenzhenJingQuanHua ElectronicsLtd is trading at a P/E higher than the market. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Key Takeaway

Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

Our examination of ShenzhenJingQuanHua ElectronicsLtd revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. When we see weak earnings with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 6 warning signs for ShenzhenJingQuanHua ElectronicsLtd (2 can't be ignored!) that we have uncovered.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than ShenzhenJingQuanHua ElectronicsLtd. 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.