With a median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of close to 16x in the United States, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about The Middleby Corporation's (NASDAQ:MIDD) P/E ratio of 16.6x. 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.

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With earnings growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Middleby has been doing relatively well. One possibility is that the P/E is moderate because investors think this strong earnings performance might be about to tail off. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

View our latest analysis for Middleby

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

How Is Middleby's Growth Trending?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 6.2% gain to the company's bottom line. Ultimately though, it couldn't turn around the poor performance of the prior period, with EPS shrinking 9.7% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 9.1% each year as estimated by the seven analysts watching the company. With the market predicted to deliver 11% growth per annum, the company is positioned for a comparable earnings result.

With this information, we can see why Middleby is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. Apparently shareholders are comfortable to simply hold on while the company is keeping a low profile.

The Key Takeaway

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.

As we suspected, our examination of Middleby's analyst forecasts revealed that its market-matching earnings outlook is contributing to its current P/E. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings won't throw up any surprises. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to support the share price at these levels.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for Middleby you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than Middleby. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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.