Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Asia Commercial Holdings Limited (HKG:104) share price has dived 25% in the last thirty days, prolonging recent pain. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 11% in that time.
Even after such a large drop in price, given about half the companies in Hong Kong have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 10x, you may still consider Asia Commercial Holdings as an attractive investment with its 6x P/E ratio. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at Asia Commercial Holdings over the last year, which is not ideal at all. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company won't do enough to avoid underperforming the broader market in the near future. However, if this doesn't eventuate then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.
See our latest analysis for Asia Commercial Holdings
Does Growth Match The Low P/E?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as low as Asia Commercial Holdings' is when the company's growth is on track to lag 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 40%. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 55% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.
Weighing that medium-term earnings trajectory against the broader market's one-year forecast for expansion of 21% shows it's an unpleasant look.
In light of this, it's understandable that Asia Commercial Holdings' P/E would sit below the majority of other companies. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/E has reached a floor yet with earnings going in reverse. There's potential for the P/E to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its profitability.
The Bottom Line On Asia Commercial Holdings' P/E
Asia Commercial Holdings' recently weak share price has pulled its P/E below most other companies. Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.
We've established that Asia Commercial Holdings maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its sliding earnings over the medium-term, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future under these circumstances.
It is also worth noting that we have found 4 warning signs for Asia Commercial Holdings that you need to take into consideration.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a low P/E.
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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.
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