When close to half the companies in Hong Kong have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 10x, you may consider China Development Bank Financial Leasing Co., Ltd. (HKG:1606) as a highly attractive investment with its 3.4x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so limited.

China Development Bank Financial Leasing certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing earnings more than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. 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.

See our latest analysis for China Development Bank Financial Leasing

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

In order to justify its P/E ratio, China Development Bank Financial Leasing would need to produce anemic growth that's substantially trailing the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 21%. EPS has also lifted 6.0% in aggregate from three years ago, mostly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 6.6% per annum as estimated by the only analyst watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 13% per year, which is noticeably more attractive.

With this information, we can see why China Development Bank Financial Leasing is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

The Final Word

It's argued the price-to-earnings ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

We've established that China Development Bank Financial Leasing maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for China Development Bank Financial Leasing that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than China Development Bank Financial Leasing. 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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