With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 59.4x Shift4 Payments, Inc. (NYSE:FOUR) may be sending very bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in the United States have P/E ratios under 18x and even P/E's lower than 11x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/E.

Recent times have been advantageous for Shift4 Payments as its earnings have been rising faster than most other companies. It seems that many are expecting the strong earnings performance to persist, which has raised the P/E. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

Check out our latest analysis for Shift4 Payments

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Shift4 Payments will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

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

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Shift4 Payments would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 8.7% gain to the company's bottom line. However, due to its less than impressive performance prior to this period, EPS growth is practically non-existent over the last three years overall. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 59% as estimated by the analysts watching the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 15%, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Shift4 Payments' P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

The Final Word

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 Shift4 Payments maintains its high P/E on the strength of its forecast growth being higher than the wider market, as expected. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/E as they are quite confident future earnings aren't under threat. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

It is also worth noting that we have found 3 warning signs for Shift4 Payments (1 is concerning!) that you need to take into consideration.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than Shift4 Payments. 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.