GKG Precision Machine Co., Ltd. (SZSE:301338) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 33% after a shaky period beforehand. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 11% in the last twelve months.
Since its price has surged higher, given close to half the companies in China have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 31x, you may consider GKG Precision Machine as a stock to avoid entirely with its 79.3x P/E ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.
Recent times haven't been advantageous for GKG Precision Machine as its earnings have been falling quicker than most other companies. It might be that many expect the dismal earnings performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. If not, then existing shareholders may be very nervous about the viability of the share price.
See our latest analysis for GKG Precision Machine
Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on GKG Precision Machine will help you uncover what's on the horizon.GKG Precision Machine'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 57%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk EPS by 68% in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.
Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 51% each year during the coming three years according to the only analyst following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to only expand by 19% per annum, which is noticeably less attractive.
In light of this, it's understandable that GKG Precision Machine's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.
The strong share price surge has got GKG Precision Machine's P/E rushing to great heights as well. 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.
We've established that GKG Precision Machine maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 2 warning signs for GKG Precision Machine you should be aware of, and 1 of them is concerning.
If you're unsure about the strength of GKG Precision Machine's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.
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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.