Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology Co., Ltd. (SHSE:601218) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 27% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 18% in the last twelve months.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 24.4x might still make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in China, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 32x and even P/E's above 58x are quite common. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

For example, consider that Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology's financial performance has been poor lately as its earnings have been in decline. It might be that many expect the disappointing earnings performance to continue or accelerate, which has repressed the P/E. However, if this doesn't eventuate then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Although there are no analyst estimates available for Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Any Growth For Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 15% decrease to the company's bottom line. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 44% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to deliver 40% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term earnings results is a sobering picture.

In light of this, it's understandable that Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology's P/E would sit below the majority of other companies. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/E has reached a floor yet with earnings going in reverse. There's potential for the P/E to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its profitability.

The Key Takeaway

The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology's P/E close to the market median. 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 Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology maintains its low P/E on the weakness of its sliding earnings over the medium-term, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider before investing and we've discovered 1 warning sign for Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology that you should be aware of.

If you're unsure about the strength of Jiangsu JIXIN Wind Energy Technology's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.