The Market Doesn't Like What It Sees From Shanghai Pudong Construction Co.,Ltd.'s (SHSE:600284) Earnings Yet

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 9.2x Shanghai Pudong Construction Co.,Ltd. (SHSE:600284) may be sending very bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios greater than 28x and even P/E's higher than 53x 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.

With earnings growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Shanghai Pudong ConstructionLtd has been doing relatively well. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this strong earnings performance might be less impressive moving forward. 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 out of favour.

Check out our latest analysis for Shanghai Pudong ConstructionLtd

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Is There Any Growth For Shanghai Pudong ConstructionLtd?

Shanghai Pudong ConstructionLtd's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very poor growth or even falling earnings, and importantly, perform much worse than the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow earnings per share by a handy 15% last year. The latest three year period has also seen a 25% overall rise in EPS, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 11% per annum as estimated by the only analyst watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 24% per annum, which is noticeably more attractive.

In light of this, it's understandable that Shanghai Pudong ConstructionLtd's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see limited future growth and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

The Final Word

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.

We've established that Shanghai Pudong ConstructionLtd maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in earnings isn't great enough to justify a higher P/E ratio. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Shanghai Pudong ConstructionLtd (1 is potentially serious) you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com