The Ausupreme International Holdings Limited (HKG:2031) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 26%. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 12% over that time.
In spite of the firm bounce in price, given about half the companies in Hong Kong have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 11x, you may still consider Ausupreme International Holdings as an attractive investment with its 6.8x P/E ratio. 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 Ausupreme International Holdings as its earnings have been rising very briskly. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this strong earnings growth might actually underperform the broader market in the near future. 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.
View our latest analysis for Ausupreme International Holdings
Does Growth Match The Low P/E?
In order to justify its P/E ratio, Ausupreme International Holdings would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 79% last year. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 3,386% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.
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 peculiar that Ausupreme International Holdings' P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders believe the recent performance has exceeded its limits and have been accepting significantly lower selling prices.
The Bottom Line On Ausupreme International Holdings' P/E
The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift Ausupreme International Holdings' P/E close to the market median. 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 Ausupreme International Holdings 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. When we see strong earnings with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing significant pressure on the P/E ratio. 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.
You always need to take note of risks, for example - Ausupreme International Holdings has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.
You might be able to find a better investment than Ausupreme International Holdings. 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.