Shenzhen INVT Electric Co.,Ltd (SZSE:002334) shareholders won't be pleased to see that the share price has had a very rough month, dropping 25% and undoing the prior period's positive performance. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 43% in that time.

Since its price has dipped substantially, Shenzhen INVT ElectricLtd may be sending very bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 12.6x, since almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios greater than 30x and even P/E's higher than 54x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Shenzhen INVT ElectricLtd 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 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 out of favour.

View our latest analysis for Shenzhen INVT ElectricLtd

Is There Any Growth For Shenzhen INVT ElectricLtd?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as depressed as Shenzhen INVT ElectricLtd'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 128%. However, the latest three year period hasn't been as great in aggregate as it didn't manage to provide any growth at all. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 24% as estimated by the dual analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 42%, which is noticeably more attractive.

With this information, we can see why Shenzhen INVT ElectricLtd 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.

The Final Word

Having almost fallen off a cliff, Shenzhen INVT ElectricLtd's share price has pulled its P/E way down as well. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Shenzhen INVT ElectricLtd'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. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for Shenzhen INVT ElectricLtd you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and 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.