Willfar Information Technology Co., Ltd.'s (SHSE:688100) Shares Leap 34% Yet They're Still Not Telling The Full Story

Willfar Information Technology Co., Ltd. (SHSE:688100) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 34% after a shaky period beforehand. Looking further back, the 19% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, there still wouldn't be many who think Willfar Information Technology's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 31.2x is worth a mention when the median P/E in China is similar at about 29x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/E without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

Willfar Information Technology 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. One possibility is that the P/E is moderate because investors think the company's earnings will be less resilient 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 not quite in favour.

See our latest analysis for Willfar Information Technology

Keen to find out how analysts think Willfar Information Technology's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

Does Growth Match The P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Willfar Information Technology would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 34% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 91% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 25% per annum as estimated by the nine analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 22% each year growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we find it interesting that Willfar Information Technology is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. Apparently some shareholders are skeptical of the forecasts and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Key Takeaway

Its shares have lifted substantially and now Willfar Information Technology's P/E is also back up to the market median. 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 Willfar Information Technology's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook isn't contributing to its P/E as much as we would have predicted. When we see a strong earnings outlook with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/E ratio. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued, but investors seem to think future earnings could see some volatility.

Having said that, be aware Willfar Information Technology is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of Willfar Information 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.