Jack Technology Co.,Ltd's (SHSE:603337) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 19.7x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in China, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 32x and even P/E's above 62x are quite common. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
Recent times have been pleasing for Jack TechnologyLtd as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think the company's earnings are going to fall away like everyone else's soon. 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 Jack TechnologyLtd
Keen to find out how analysts think Jack TechnologyLtd's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like Jack TechnologyLtd's to be considered reasonable.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 53% last year. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 33% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.
Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 20% each year during the coming three years according to the five analysts following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 18% per annum, which is not materially different.
With this information, we find it odd that Jack TechnologyLtd is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting lower selling prices.
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 Jack TechnologyLtd currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its forecast growth is in line with the wider market. There could be some unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching the outlook. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued, but investors seem to think future earnings could see some volatility.
Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Jack TechnologyLtd that 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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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.