With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 3x China Kepei Education Group Limited (HKG:1890) may be sending very bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in Hong Kong have P/E ratios greater than 9x and even P/E's higher than 18x 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 limited.
Recent earnings growth for China Kepei Education Group has been in line with the market. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this modest earnings performance may begin to slide. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.
View our latest analysis for China Kepei Education Group
How Is China Kepei Education Group's Growth Trending?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as depressed as China Kepei Education Group's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market decidedly.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 3.1% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen a 26% overall rise in EPS, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been respectable for the company.
Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 4.6% per year as estimated by the sole analyst watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 15% per annum, which is noticeably more attractive.
In light of this, it's understandable that China Kepei Education Group's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.
The Bottom Line On China Kepei Education Group's P/E
It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.
We've established that China Kepei Education Group maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for China Kepei Education Group you should be aware of.
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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