With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 51.7x China Kings Resources Group Co.,Ltd. (SHSE:603505) may be sending bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios under 35x and even P/E's lower than 20x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/E.

China Kings Resources GroupLtd certainly has been doing a good job lately as its earnings growth has been positive while most other companies have been seeing their earnings go backwards. It seems that many are expecting the company to continue defying the broader market adversity, which has increased investors' willingness to pay up for the stock. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

Check out our latest analysis for China Kings Resources GroupLtd

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as high as China Kings Resources GroupLtd's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 41%. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 40% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 146% as estimated by the three analysts watching the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 43%, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

With this information, we can see why China Kings Resources GroupLtd is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

What We Can Learn From China Kings Resources GroupLtd's P/E?

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 China Kings Resources GroupLtd maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with China Kings Resources GroupLtd.

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.

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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.