UnitedHealth Group Incorporated's (NYSE:UNH) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 32.5x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 18x and even P/E's below 10x are quite common. However, the P/E might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

While the market has experienced earnings growth lately, UnitedHealth Group's earnings have gone into reverse gear, which is not great. It might be that many expect the dour earnings performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/E from collapsing. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on UnitedHealth Group.

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

In order to justify its P/E ratio, UnitedHealth Group would need to produce outstanding growth well in excess of the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 33% 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 4.7% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest earnings should grow by 32% per annum over the next three years. With the market only predicted to deliver 11% per annum, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

With this information, we can see why UnitedHealth Group is trading at such a high P/E compared to the market. 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 UnitedHealth Group 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. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - UnitedHealth Group has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

Of course, you might also be able to find a better stock than UnitedHealth Group. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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.