Skechers U.S.A., Inc.'s (NYSE:SKX) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 14.7x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios above 20x and even P/E's above 36x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

With earnings growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Skechers U.S.A 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 not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

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

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like Skechers U.S.A's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 19% last year. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 64% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the twelve analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 15% per annum over the next three years. With the market only predicted to deliver 10% per year, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

With this information, we find it odd that Skechers U.S.A is trading at a P/E lower than the market. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting significantly lower selling prices.

What We Can Learn From Skechers U.S.A's P/E?

While the price-to-earnings ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of earnings expectations.

Our examination of Skechers U.S.A'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.

A lot of potential risks can sit within a company's balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for Skechers U.S.A with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Skechers U.S.A. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.