Despite an already strong run, Yuanda China Holdings Limited (HKG:2789) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 25% in the last thirty days. The last month tops off a massive increase of 148% in the last year.

After such a large jump in price, Yuanda China Holdings may be sending very bearish signals at the moment with a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 30.2x, since almost half of all companies in Hong Kong have P/E ratios under 9x and even P/E's lower than 5x are not unusual. 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.

As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at Yuanda China Holdings over the last year, which is not ideal at all. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think the company will still do 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Yuanda China Holdings

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 Yuanda China Holdings' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/E?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Yuanda China Holdings' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 66% decrease to the company's bottom line. This has erased any of its gains during the last three years, with practically no change in EPS being achieved in total. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

This is in contrast to the rest of the market, which is expected to grow by 21% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this information, we find it concerning that Yuanda China Holdings 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 Key Takeaway

The strong share price surge has got Yuanda China Holdings' P/E rushing to great heights as well. We'd say the price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

We've established that Yuanda China Holdings currently trades on a much higher than expected P/E since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider market forecast. 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.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with Yuanda China Holdings (at least 2 which make us uncomfortable), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

You might be able to find a better investment than Yuanda China 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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