Investors Aren't Buying Lenovo Group Limited's (HKG:992) Earnings

When close to half the companies in Hong Kong have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 13x, you may consider Lenovo Group Limited (HKG:992) as an attractive investment with its 9.1x P/E ratio. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

With earnings growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Lenovo Group has been doing relatively well. One possibility is that the P/E is low because investors think this strong earnings performance might be less impressive moving forward. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Lenovo Group

Keen to find out how analysts think Lenovo Group's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

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

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as low as Lenovo Group's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 36% gain to the company's bottom line. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen a very unpleasant 27% drop in EPS in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 1.2% each year during the coming three years according to the analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 14% per year growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's understandable that Lenovo Group's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see limited future growth and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

What We Can Learn From Lenovo Group's P/E?

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

We've established that Lenovo Group 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. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Lenovo Group, and understanding should be part of your investment process.

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.