Huron Consulting Group Inc. (NASDAQ:HURN) shares have had a horrible month, losing 28% after a relatively good period beforehand. Longer-term shareholders will rue the drop in the share price, since it's now virtually flat for the year after a promising few quarters.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, there still wouldn't be many who think Huron Consulting Group's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 19.3x is worth a mention when the median P/E in the United States is similar at about 19x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/E ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

Huron Consulting Group 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 not, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

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

Is There Some Growth For Huron Consulting Group?

Huron Consulting Group'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.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 31% gain to the company's bottom line. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 56% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 22% as estimated by the five analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 16% growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's curious that Huron Consulting Group's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders are skeptical of the forecasts and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Final Word

With its share price falling into a hole, the P/E for Huron Consulting Group looks quite average now. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-earnings ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

Our examination of Huron Consulting Group's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook isn't contributing to its P/E as much as we would have predicted. 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. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued, but investors seem to think future earnings could see some volatility.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a few good candidates. So take a peek at this free list of companies with a strong growth track record, trading on a low P/E.

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.