Fujian SBS Zipper Science&Technology Co., Ltd (SZSE:002098) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 26% share price drop in the last month. Instead of being rewarded, shareholders who have already held through the last twelve months are now sitting on a 21% share price drop.

Following the heavy fall in price, Fujian SBS Zipper Science&Technology may be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 16.8x, since almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios greater than 27x and even P/E's higher than 48x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

Fujian SBS Zipper Science&Technology certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing earnings at a really rapid pace. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this strong earnings growth might actually underperform the broader market in the near future. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

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

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as low as Fujian SBS Zipper Science&Technology's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 40% gain to the company's bottom line. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 121% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 42% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.

In light of this, it's understandable that Fujian SBS Zipper Science&Technology's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

The Key Takeaway

The softening of Fujian SBS Zipper Science&Technology's shares means its P/E is now sitting at a pretty low level. 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.

We've established that Fujian SBS Zipper Science&Technology maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider market forecast, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

The company's balance sheet is another key area for risk analysis. Our free balance sheet analysis for Fujian SBS Zipper Science&Technology with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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