Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:301108) Price Is Out Of Tune With Earnings

It's not a stretch to say that Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:301108) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 39.1x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in China, where the median P/E ratio is around 36x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing earnings performance behind them over the coming period, which has kept the P/E from falling. If you like the company, you'd at least be hoping this is the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

See our latest analysis for Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Is Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology's Growth Trending?

Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with 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 46%. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 82% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the market is expected to grow by 38% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term earnings decline into perspective.

With this information, we find it concerning that Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. Apparently many investors in the company are way less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

The Final Word

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.

We've established that Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology currently trades on a higher than expected P/E since its recent earnings have been in decline over the medium-term. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/E as this earnings performance is unlikely to support a more positive sentiment for long. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

Having said that, be aware Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of Tongling Jieya Biologic Technology's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.