Avary Holding(Shenzhen)Co., Limited's (SZSE:002938) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 12.8x 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 34x and even P/E's above 61x are quite common. However, the P/E might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Avary Holding(Shenzhen)Co has been struggling lately as its earnings have declined faster than most other companies. The P/E is probably low because investors think this poor earnings performance isn't going to improve at all. If you still like the company, you'd want its earnings trajectory to turn around before making any decisions. Or at the very least, you'd be hoping the earnings slide doesn't get any worse if your plan is to pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

View our latest analysis for Avary Holding(Shenzhen)Co

Is There Any Growth For Avary Holding(Shenzhen)Co?

Avary Holding(Shenzhen)Co'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.

Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 27%. Still, the latest three year period has seen an excellent 37% overall rise in EPS, in spite of its unsatisfying short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a very good job of growing earnings over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 30% as estimated by the nine analysts watching the company. With the market predicted to deliver 43% growth , the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Avary Holding(Shenzhen)Co'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 Bottom Line On Avary Holding(Shenzhen)Co's P/E

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 Avary Holding(Shenzhen)Co's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior earnings outlook is contributing to its low P/E. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Avary Holding(Shenzhen)Co that you should be aware of.

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.