Those holding TKD Science and Technology Co.,Ltd. (SHSE:603738) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 39% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 27% over that time.
Following the firm bounce in price, given close to half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 29x, you may consider TKD Science and TechnologyLtd as a stock to avoid entirely with its 62.4x P/E ratio. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
Recent times haven't been advantageous for TKD Science and TechnologyLtd as its earnings have been falling quicker than most other companies. It might be that many expect the dismal earnings performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on TKD Science and TechnologyLtd.How Is TKD Science and TechnologyLtd's Growth Trending?
In order to justify its P/E ratio, TKD Science and TechnologyLtd would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.
Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 66%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 337% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would probably welcome the medium-term rates of earnings growth.
Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 108% during the coming year according to the lone analyst following the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 41%, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.
In light of this, it's understandable that TKD Science and TechnologyLtd's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.
The Bottom Line On TKD Science and TechnologyLtd's P/E
TKD Science and TechnologyLtd's P/E is flying high just like its stock has during the last month. 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 TKD Science and TechnologyLtd's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
Plus, you should also learn about these 3 warning signs we've spotted with TKD Science and TechnologyLtd.
Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than TKD Science and TechnologyLtd. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.