The SunCoke Energy, Inc. (NYSE:SXC) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 31%. The last 30 days bring the annual gain to a very sharp 31%.

Even after such a large jump in price, given about half the companies in the United States have price-to-earnings ratios (or "P/E's") above 19x, you may still consider SunCoke Energy as an attractive investment with its 10.8x P/E ratio. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Recent times have been advantageous for SunCoke Energy as its earnings have been rising faster than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

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

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the market for P/E ratios like SunCoke Energy's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 54% gain to the company's bottom line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 230% overall rise in EPS, aided by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should bring diminished returns, with earnings decreasing 23% as estimated by the two analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the broader market is forecast to expand by 15%, which paints a poor picture.

In light of this, it's understandable that SunCoke Energy's P/E would sit below the majority of other companies. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/E has reached a floor yet with earnings going in reverse. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as the weak outlook is weighing down the shares.

The Bottom Line On SunCoke Energy's P/E

Despite SunCoke Energy's shares building up a head of steam, its P/E still lags most other companies. Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

As we suspected, our examination of SunCoke Energy's analyst forecasts revealed that its outlook for shrinking earnings is contributing to its low P/E. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/E as they concede future earnings probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for SunCoke Energy (1 doesn't sit too well with us) you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than SunCoke Energy. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.