Guangdong Tloong Technology Group Co.,Ltd (SZSE:300063) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 28% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground. The last 30 days bring the annual gain to a very sharp 39%.

Following the firm bounce in price, Guangdong Tloong Technology GroupLtd may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 70.4x, since almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios under 32x and even P/E's lower than 19x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

For example, consider that Guangdong Tloong Technology GroupLtd's financial performance has been poor lately as its earnings have been in decline. It might be that many expect the company to still outplay most other companies over the coming period, 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.

Is There Enough Growth For Guangdong Tloong Technology GroupLtd?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the market for P/E ratios like Guangdong Tloong Technology GroupLtd's to be considered reasonable.

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 37%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 30% in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 40% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term earnings results is a sobering picture.

In light of this, it's alarming that Guangdong Tloong Technology GroupLtd's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

What We Can Learn From Guangdong Tloong Technology GroupLtd's P/E?

The strong share price surge has got Guangdong Tloong Technology GroupLtd's P/E rushing to great heights as well. We'd say the price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

Our examination of Guangdong Tloong Technology GroupLtd revealed its shrinking earnings over the medium-term aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given the market is set to grow. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as this earnings performance is highly unlikely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Having said that, be aware Guangdong Tloong Technology GroupLtd is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those doesn't sit too well with us.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Guangdong Tloong Technology GroupLtd. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.