Potential Upside For First Tractor Company Limited (HKG:38) Not Without Risk

First Tractor Company Limited's (HKG:38) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 6.6x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in Hong Kong, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 10x and even P/E's above 18x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

Recent times have been quite advantageous for First Tractor as its earnings have been rising very briskly. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. 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 out of favour.

Check out our latest analysis for First Tractor

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on First Tractor will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Is There Any Growth For First Tractor?

First Tractor's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 62% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 112% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 19% over the next year, materially lower than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's peculiar that First Tractor's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It looks like most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.

The Bottom Line On First Tractor's P/E

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 First Tractor revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't contributing to its P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look better than current market expectations. There could be some major unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching this positive performance. At least price risks look to be very low if recent medium-term earnings trends continue, but investors seem to think future earnings could see a lot of volatility.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider before investing and we've discovered 1 warning sign for First Tractor that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than First Tractor. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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