Hang Xiao Steel Structure Co.,Ltd's (SHSE:600477) Prospects Need A Boost To Lift Shares

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 24.3x Hang Xiao Steel Structure Co.,Ltd (SHSE:600477) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios greater than 32x and even P/E's higher than 61x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

Hang Xiao Steel StructureLtd has been struggling lately as its earnings have declined faster than most other companies. The P/E is probably low because investors think this poor earnings performance isn't going to improve at all. If you still like the company, you'd want its earnings trajectory to turn around before making any decisions. Or at the very least, you'd be hoping the earnings slide doesn't get any worse if your plan is to pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

Check out our latest analysis for Hang Xiao Steel StructureLtd

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Hang Xiao Steel StructureLtd will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

How Is Hang Xiao Steel StructureLtd's Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as low as Hang Xiao Steel StructureLtd's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 17%. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 46% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the three analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 14% each year over the next three years. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 19% per year, which is noticeably more attractive.

In light of this, it's understandable that Hang Xiao Steel StructureLtd's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

The Final Word

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.

We've established that Hang Xiao Steel StructureLtd 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. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Hang Xiao Steel StructureLtd (of which 1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) you should know about.

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.