JiaChen Holding Group Limited (HKG:1937) Shares Slammed 29% But Getting In Cheap Might Be Difficult Regardless

To the annoyance of some shareholders, JiaChen Holding Group Limited (HKG:1937) shares are down a considerable 29% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 68% share price decline.

Although its price has dipped substantially, JiaChen Holding Group may still be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 25.4x, since almost half of all companies in Hong Kong have P/E ratios under 9x and even P/E's lower than 5x 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 so lofty.

For instance, JiaChen Holding Group's receding earnings in recent times would have to be some food for thought. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be quite nervous about the viability of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for JiaChen Holding Group

Although there are no analyst estimates available for JiaChen Holding Group, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Is JiaChen Holding Group's Growth Trending?

JiaChen Holding Group's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 45%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 684% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a very good job of growing earnings over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 21% over the next year, materially lower than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's understandable that JiaChen Holding Group's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting this strong growth to continue and are willing to pay more for the stock.

What We Can Learn From JiaChen Holding Group's P/E?

JiaChen Holding Group's shares may have retreated, but its P/E is still flying high. 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 JiaChen Holding Group maintains its high P/E on the strength of its recent three-year growth being higher than the wider market forecast, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. Unless the recent medium-term conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

You need to take note of risks, for example - JiaChen Holding Group has 3 warning signs (and 1 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.

If P/E ratios interest you, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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