China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:001979) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 19.2x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in China, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 32x and even P/E's above 58x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

Recent times haven't been advantageous for China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings as its earnings have been falling quicker 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.

See our latest analysis for China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings

Is There Any Growth For China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings?

China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings' P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 13% decrease to the company's bottom line. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 65% in aggregate. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 32% per year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 22% per annum, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's peculiar that China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings' P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting significantly lower selling prices.

The Bottom Line On China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings' P/E

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 China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings' analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook isn't contributing to its P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted. There could be some major unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching the positive outlook. It appears many are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because these conditions should normally provide a boost to the share price.

It is also worth noting that we have found 3 warning signs for China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings that you need to take into consideration.

You might be able to find a better investment than China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings. 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).

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.