When close to half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") below 18x, you may consider Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) as a stock to potentially avoid with its 23.6x P/E ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's as high as it is.

Recent times have been advantageous for Johnson & Johnson 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. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

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

Does Growth Match The High P/E?

Johnson & Johnson's P/E ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver solid growth, and importantly, perform better than the market.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 28%. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen a very unpleasant 9.7% drop in EPS in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 17% each year during the coming three years according to the analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 11% per annum growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's understandable that Johnson & Johnson's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

The Final Word

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 Johnson & Johnson 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. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - Johnson & Johnson has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

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

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.