There wouldn't be many who think Wuxi Smart Auto-Control Engineering Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:002877) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 29.6x is worth a mention when the median P/E in China is similar at about 32x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/E ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

Wuxi Smart Auto-Control Engineering certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. The P/E is probably moderate because investors think this strong earnings growth might not be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

View our latest analysis for Wuxi Smart Auto-Control Engineering

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Wuxi Smart Auto-Control Engineering would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 57%. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 120% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 43% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker based on recent medium-term annualised earnings results.

With this information, we find it interesting that Wuxi Smart Auto-Control Engineering is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Final Word

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

Our examination of Wuxi Smart Auto-Control Engineering revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its P/E as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/E as this earnings performance isn't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, it's challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Wuxi Smart Auto-Control Engineering (1 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Wuxi Smart Auto-Control Engineering, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.