With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 10.2x Bunge Global SA (NYSE:BG) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in the United States have P/E ratios greater than 18x and even P/E's higher than 34x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/E.

With earnings that are retreating more than the market's of late, Bunge Global has been very sluggish. It seems that many are expecting the dismal earnings performance to persist, which has repressed the P/E. You'd much rather the company wasn't bleeding earnings if you still believe in the business. If not, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

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

Is There Any Growth For Bunge Global?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 38% decrease to the company's bottom line. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 51% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the nine analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 13% over the next year. That's shaping up to be similar to the 15% growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Bunge Global's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.

The Bottom Line On Bunge Global's P/E

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.

Our examination of Bunge Global's analyst forecasts revealed that its market-matching earnings outlook isn't contributing to its P/E as much as we would have predicted. There could be some unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching the outlook. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued, but investors seem to think future earnings could see some volatility.

Having said that, be aware Bunge Global is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of Bunge Global'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.