With a median price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of close to 18x in the United States, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Verizon Communications Inc.'s (NYSE:VZ) P/E ratio of 17.1x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/E.

Verizon Communications hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining earnings compare poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth on average. It might be that many expect the dour earnings performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/E from falling. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a relatively elevated price for a company with this sort of growth profile.

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Is There Some Growth For Verizon Communications?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the market for P/E ratios like Verizon Communications' to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 53% decrease to the company's bottom line. This means it has also seen a slide in earnings over the longer-term as EPS is down 56% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 29% 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 year growth forecast for the broader market.

With this information, we find it interesting that Verizon Communications is trading at a fairly similar P/E to the market. It may be that most investors aren't convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.

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.

We've established that Verizon Communications currently trades on a lower than expected P/E since its forecast growth is higher than the wider market. When we see a strong earnings outlook with faster-than-market growth, we assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/E ratio. It appears some are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because these conditions should normally provide a boost to the share price.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - Verizon Communications has 4 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

If you're unsure about the strength of Verizon Communications' 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.