Those holding Three's Company Media Group Co., Ltd. (SHSE:605168) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 35% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 28% in the last twelve months.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, Three's Company Media Group may still be sending very bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 11.6x, since almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios greater than 30x and even P/E's higher than 55x 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.

Three's Company Media Group 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 not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

How Is Three's Company Media Group's Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far underperform the market for P/E ratios like Three's Company Media Group's to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 42%. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 110% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 39% during the coming year according to the three analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be similar to the 41% growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Three's Company Media Group's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Bottom Line On Three's Company Media Group's P/E

Shares in Three's Company Media Group are going to need a lot more upward momentum to get the company's P/E out of its slump. While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

Our examination of Three's Company Media Group's analyst forecasts revealed that its market-matching earnings outlook isn't contributing to its P/E as much as we would have predicted. When we see an average earnings outlook with market-like growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/E ratio. It appears some are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because these conditions should normally provide more support to the share price.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Three's Company Media Group (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be aware of.

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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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.