It's not a stretch to say that Keppel Ltd.'s (SGX:BN4) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 13.3x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in Singapore, where the median P/E ratio is around 12x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/E without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

Recent times have been pleasing for Keppel as its earnings have risen in spite of the market's earnings going into reverse. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to deteriorate like the rest, which has kept the P/E from rising. 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 not quite in favour.

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Keppel.

How Is Keppel's Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/E like Keppel's is when the company's growth is tracking the market closely.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow earnings per share by a handy 4.4% last year. However, due to its less than impressive performance prior to this period, EPS growth is practically non-existent over the last three years overall. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 9.7% each year during the coming three years according to the eleven analysts following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 8.5% per year, which is not materially different.

With this information, we can see why Keppel is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It seems most investors are expecting to see average future growth and are only willing to pay a moderate amount for the stock.

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 Keppel maintains its moderate P/E off the back of its forecast growth being in line with the wider market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement or deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a high or low P/E ratio. It's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future under these circumstances.

You need to take note of risks, for example - Keppel has 4 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Keppel, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com