Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group Co., Ltd.'s (SHSE:600887) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 15.8x might 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 36x and even P/E's above 65x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly reduced P/E.

Recent times have been pleasing for Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company's earnings are going to fall away like everyone else's soon. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

See our latest analysis for Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group

Is There Any Growth For Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as depressed as Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market decidedly.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 21%. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 39% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 7.8% per year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. With the market predicted to deliver 23% growth each year, the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

The Final Word

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.

We've established that Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Many other vital risk factors can be found on the company's balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.

You might be able to find a better investment than Inner Mongolia Yili Industrial Group. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.