Investors Appear Satisfied With China Leadshine Technology Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:002979) Prospects

With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 51.5x China Leadshine Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002979) may be sending very bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in China have P/E ratios under 28x and even P/E's lower than 17x 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.

Recent times haven't been advantageous for China Leadshine Technology as its earnings have been falling quicker than most other companies. It might be that many expect the dismal earnings performance to recover substantially, 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.

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Is There Enough Growth For China Leadshine Technology?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, China Leadshine Technology would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 61% decrease to the company's bottom line. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 53% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 96% as estimated by the two analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 41% growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's understandable that China Leadshine Technology's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

The Key Takeaway

Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

As we suspected, our examination of China Leadshine Technology's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

Having said that, be aware China Leadshine Technology is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, you should know about.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than China Leadshine Technology. 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.