There wouldn't be many who think China CAMC Engineering Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:002051) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 27.5x is worth a mention when the median P/E in China is similar at about 28x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

China CAMC Engineering has been struggling lately as its earnings have declined faster than most other companies. One possibility is that the P/E is moderate because investors think the company's earnings trend will eventually fall in line with most others in the market. If you still like the company, you'd want its earnings trajectory to turn around before making any decisions. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

How Is China CAMC Engineering's Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, China CAMC Engineering would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 9.1%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 15% in aggregate. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 31% as estimated by the two analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 41% growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's curious that China CAMC Engineering's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Final Word

It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

We've established that China CAMC Engineering currently trades on a higher than expected P/E since its forecast growth is lower than the wider market. When we see a weak earnings outlook with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the moderate P/E lower. Unless these conditions improve, it's challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 2 warning signs for China CAMC Engineering you should be aware of, and 1 of them is significant.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on China CAMC Engineering, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.