Hisense Home Appliances Group Co., Ltd. (SZSE:000921) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 27% after a shaky period beforehand. The last 30 days bring the annual gain to a very sharp 46%.

Even after such a large jump in price, Hisense Home Appliances Group may still be sending very bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 12.5x, 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 so limited.

With its earnings growth in positive territory compared to the declining earnings of most other companies, Hisense Home Appliances Group has been doing quite well of late. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Hisense Home Appliances Group

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as depressed as Hisense Home Appliances 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 148%. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 90% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 13% as estimated by the eleven analysts watching the company. With the market predicted to deliver 42% growth , the company is positioned for a weaker earnings result.

With this information, we can see why Hisense Home Appliances Group is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

What We Can Learn From Hisense Home Appliances Group's P/E?

Hisense Home Appliances Group's recent share price jump still sees its P/E sitting firmly flat on the ground. 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 Hisense Home Appliances 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. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider before investing and we've discovered 1 warning sign for Hisense Home Appliances Group that you should be aware of.

If you're unsure about the strength of Hisense Home Appliances Group's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.