With a median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of close to 19x in Australia, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about GrainCorp Limited's (ASX:GNC) P/E ratio of 20.3x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/E ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

GrainCorp could be doing better as its earnings have been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive earnings growth. 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.

View our latest analysis for GrainCorp

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

Is There Some Growth For GrainCorp?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 70% decrease to the company's bottom line. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow EPS by an impressive 1,194% in total over the last three years. Although it's been a bumpy ride, it's still fair to say the earnings growth recently has been more than adequate for the company.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 6.2% per annum during the coming three years according to the ten analysts following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the market is forecast to expand by 19% per annum, which is noticeably more attractive.

In light of this, it's curious that GrainCorp's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. 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 GrainCorp'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.

We've established that GrainCorp 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. This places shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for GrainCorp (of which 1 is significant!) you should know about.

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

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.