Despite an already strong run, Deewin Tianxia Co., Ltd (HKG:2418) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 32% in the last thirty days. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 31% in the last year.

After such a large jump in price, Deewin Tianxia's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 23.6x 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 11x and even P/E's below 6x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.

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Earnings have risen at a steady rate over the last year for Deewin Tianxia, which is generally not a bad outcome. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this good earnings growth will be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

View our latest analysis for Deewin Tianxia

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 Deewin Tianxia's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Enough Growth For Deewin Tianxia?

Deewin Tianxia'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.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 4.5% gain to the company's bottom line. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen an unpleasant 68% overall drop in EPS. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the market is expected to grow by 18% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term earnings decline into perspective.

In light of this, it's alarming that Deewin Tianxia's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a very good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

The Bottom Line On Deewin Tianxia's P/E

Deewin Tianxia's P/E is flying high just like its stock has during the last month. Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

We've established that Deewin Tianxia currently trades on a much higher than expected P/E since its recent earnings have been in decline over the medium-term. Right now we are increasingly uncomfortable with the high P/E as this earnings performance is highly unlikely to support such positive sentiment for long. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - Deewin Tianxia has 2 warning signs we think 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.