Those holding Suzhou Hengmingda Electronic Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002947) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 30% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Looking further back, the 23% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

Although its price has surged higher, there still wouldn't be many who think Suzhou Hengmingda Electronic Technology's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 28.4x is worth a mention when the median P/E in China is similar at about 30x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/E ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

Earnings have risen firmly for Suzhou Hengmingda Electronic Technology recently, which is pleasing to see. It might be that many expect the respectable earnings performance to wane, which has kept the P/E from rising. 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 not quite in favour.

Is There Some Growth For Suzhou Hengmingda Electronic Technology?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Suzhou Hengmingda Electronic Technology would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 18% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 60% 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.

Weighing that recent medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 41% shows it's noticeably less attractive on an annualised basis.

With this information, we find it interesting that Suzhou Hengmingda Electronic Technology is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Key Takeaway

Its shares have lifted substantially and now Suzhou Hengmingda Electronic Technology's P/E is also back up to the market median. 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 Suzhou Hengmingda Electronic Technology currently trades on a higher than expected P/E since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider market forecast. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/E as this earnings performance isn't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, it's challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Having said that, be aware Suzhou Hengmingda Electronic Technology is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.

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.