With a median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of close to 17x in the United States, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Eagle Materials Inc.'s (NYSE:EXP) P/E ratio of 17.8x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

With its earnings growth in positive territory compared to the declining earnings of most other companies, Eagle Materials has been doing quite well of late. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to deteriorate like the rest, which has kept the P/E from rising. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

How Is Eagle Materials' Growth Trending?

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

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 23% last year. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 78% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 10% as estimated by the twelve analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be similar to the 12% growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we can see why Eagle Materials 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 Bottom Line On Eagle Materials' 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 Eagle Materials maintains its moderate P/E off the back of its forecast growth being in line with the wider market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement or deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a high or low P/E ratio. 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 2 warning signs for Eagle Materials you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.