There wouldn't be many who think CMS Energy Corporation's (NYSE:CMS) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 19x is worth a mention when the median P/E in the United States is similar at about 19x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

CMS Energy certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing earnings more than most other companies. One possibility is that the P/E is moderate because investors think this strong earnings performance might be about to tail off. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

Check out our latest analysis for CMS Energy

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

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

CMS Energy's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 38%. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 31% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the twelve analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 5.2% each year over the next three years. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 11% each year growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's curious that CMS Energy's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as this level of earnings growth is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

What We Can Learn From CMS Energy's P/E?

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 CMS Energy 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.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 4 warning signs for CMS Energy you should be aware of, and 1 of them is significant.

If you're unsure about the strength of CMS Energy's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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