The Maider Medical Industry Equipment Co. Ltd. (SHSE:688310) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 26%. Still, a bad month hasn't completely ruined the past year with the stock gaining 40%, which is great even in a bull market.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, Maider Medical Industry Equipment may still be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 24.4x, since almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios greater than 30x and even P/E's higher than 55x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

Maider Medical Industry Equipment 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 might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, possibly more than the market, which has repressed the P/E. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for Maider Medical Industry Equipment

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Maider Medical Industry Equipment would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 169% gain to the company's bottom line. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 38% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the two analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 30% over the next year. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 42%, which is noticeably more attractive.

In light of this, it's understandable that Maider Medical Industry Equipment'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 Key Takeaway

Maider Medical Industry Equipment's recently weak share price has pulled its P/E below most other companies. Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

We've established that Maider Medical Industry Equipment maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

It is also worth noting that we have found 1 warning sign for Maider Medical Industry Equipment that you need to take into consideration.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a low P/E.

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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.