Atturra Limited's (ASX:ATA) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 34.9x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in Australia, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 19x and even P/E's below 12x 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.

Atturra hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining earnings compare poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth on average. One possibility is that the P/E is high because investors think this poor earnings performance will turn the corner. If not, then existing shareholders may be extremely nervous about the viability of the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for Atturra

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

Is There Enough Growth For Atturra?

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

Taking a look back first, the company's earnings per share growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 24%. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 47% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 25% per year as estimated by the three analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 18% each year growth forecast for the broader market.

In light of this, it's understandable that Atturra's P/E sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

What We Can Learn From Atturra's P/E?

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

As we suspected, our examination of Atturra's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior earnings outlook is contributing to its high P/E. 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.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Atturra, and understanding should be part of your investment process.

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

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.