Engenco Limited (ASX:EGN) shareholders have had their patience rewarded with a 71% share price jump in the last month. Looking further back, the 16% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

Although its price has surged higher, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Engenco's P/E ratio of 18.9x, since the median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio in Australia is also close to 18x. 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.

For example, consider that Engenco's financial performance has been poor lately as its earnings have been in decline. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing earnings performance behind them over the coming period, 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 Engenco

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Engenco will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Is There Some Growth For Engenco?

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

If we review the last year of earnings, dishearteningly the company's profits fell to the tune of 45%. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 48% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the market is expected to grow by 25% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term earnings decline into perspective.

With this information, we find it concerning that Engenco is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/E falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

The Key Takeaway

Its shares have lifted substantially and now Engenco's P/E is also back up to the market median. 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 Engenco currently trades on a higher than expected P/E since its recent earnings have been in decline over the medium-term. When we see earnings heading backwards and underperforming the market forecasts, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the moderate P/E lower. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place 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 4 warning signs for Engenco (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.

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