It's not a stretch to say that Wilmar International Limited's (SGX:F34) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 10.1x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in Singapore, where the median P/E ratio is around 12x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

Wilmar International hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining earnings compare poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth on average. It might be that many expect the dour earnings performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/E from falling. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

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

Does Growth Match The P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Wilmar International would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.

Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 13%. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 6.0% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 3.4% each year during the coming three years according to the eleven analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 9.9% per annum growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we find it interesting that Wilmar International is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

What We Can Learn From Wilmar International's P/E?

We'd say the price-to-earnings ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

We've established that Wilmar International currently trades on a higher than expected P/E since its forecast growth is lower than the wider market. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/E as the predicted future earnings aren't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless these conditions improve, it's challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

It is also worth noting that we have found 2 warning signs for Wilmar International (1 is potentially serious!) that you need to take into consideration.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Wilmar International. 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.