Elevance Health, Inc.'s (NYSE:ELV) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 15.2x 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 19x and even P/E's above 34x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

With earnings growth that's inferior to most other companies of late, Elevance Health has been relatively sluggish. It seems that many are expecting the uninspiring earnings performance to persist, which has repressed the P/E. If you still like the company, you'd be hoping earnings don't get any worse and that you could pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

View our latest analysis for Elevance Health

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

What Are Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Elevance Health would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that there was hardly any earnings per share growth to speak of for the company over the past year. Likewise, not much has changed from three years ago as earnings have been stuck during that whole time. Therefore, it's fair to say that earnings growth has definitely eluded the company recently.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 19% per annum during the coming three years according to the analysts following the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 10% each year, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Elevance Health's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting significantly lower selling prices.

The Bottom Line On Elevance Health's P/E

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

Our examination of Elevance Health'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. It appears many are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because these conditions should normally provide a boost to the share price.

The company's balance sheet is another key area for risk analysis. Our free balance sheet analysis for Elevance Health 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 Elevance Health. 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.