With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 6.1x China Datang Corporation Renewable Power Co., Limited (HKG:1798) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in Hong Kong have P/E ratios greater than 9x and even P/E's higher than 18x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

While the market has experienced earnings growth lately, China Datang Corporation Renewable Power's earnings have gone into reverse gear, which is not great. The P/E is probably low because investors think this poor earnings performance isn't going to get any better. If you still 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.

View our latest analysis for China Datang Corporation Renewable Power

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on China Datang Corporation Renewable Power.

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

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like China Datang Corporation Renewable Power's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 32% decrease to the company's bottom line. Even so, admirably EPS has lifted 51% in aggregate from three years ago, notwithstanding the last 12 months. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would probably welcome the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 17% per annum during the coming three years according to the six analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 12% per year growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's peculiar that China Datang Corporation Renewable Power's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It looks like most investors are not convinced at all that the company can achieve future growth expectations.

The Final Word

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.

Our examination of China Datang Corporation Renewable Power's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook isn't contributing to its P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted. There could be some major unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching the positive outlook. At least price risks look to be very low, but investors seem to think future earnings could see a lot of volatility.

Having said that, be aware China Datang Corporation Renewable Power is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of China Datang Corporation Renewable Power's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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.