Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding Limited (HKG:265) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 30% after a shaky period beforehand. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 10% over that time.

Since its price has surged higher, Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 18.1x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in Hong Kong, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 9x and even P/E's below 5x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

For instance, Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding's receding earnings in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the company to still outplay most other companies over the coming period, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

View our latest analysis for Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 26%. At least EPS has managed not to go completely backwards from three years ago in aggregate, thanks to the earlier period of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 23% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this information, we find it concerning that Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding is trading at a P/E higher than the market. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

The Bottom Line On Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding's P/E

Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding's P/E is flying high just like its stock has during the last month. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

Our examination of Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding revealed its three-year earnings trends aren't impacting its high P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look worse than current market expectations. When we see weak earnings with slower than market growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the high P/E lower. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than Gangyu Smart Urban Services Holding. 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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