It's not a stretch to say that Singapore Land Group Limited's (SGX:U06) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 12.4x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the market in Singapore, where the median P/E ratio is around 12x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/E without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

As an illustration, earnings have deteriorated at Singapore Land Group over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing earnings performance behind them over the coming period, which has kept the P/E from falling. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

How Is Singapore Land Group's Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Singapore Land Group would need to produce growth that's similar to the market.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 22% decrease to the company's bottom line. As a result, earnings from three years ago have also fallen 4.5% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the market is expected to grow by 7.7% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term earnings decline into perspective.

In light of this, it's somewhat alarming that Singapore Land Group's P/E sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are way less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent earnings trends is likely to weigh on the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On Singapore Land Group'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.

We've established that Singapore Land Group currently trades on a higher than expected P/E since its recent earnings have been in decline over the medium-term. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/E as this earnings performance is unlikely to support a more positive sentiment for long. If recent medium-term earnings trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

Plus, you should also learn about this 1 warning sign we've spotted with Singapore Land Group.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.