Looking into the current session, FirstEnergy Inc. (NYSE:FE) shares are trading at $42.27, after a 0.14% drop. Over the past month, the stock decreased by 4.52%, but over the past year, it actually increased by 17.42%. With questionable short-term performance like this, and great long-term performance, long-term shareholders might want to start looking into the company's price-to-earnings ratio.

Comparing FirstEnergy P/E Against Its Peers

The P/E ratio is used by long-term shareholders to assess the company's market performance against aggregate market data, historical earnings, and the industry at large. A lower P/E could indicate that shareholders do not expect the stock to perform better in the future or it could mean that the company is undervalued.

FirstEnergy has a better P/E ratio of 27.13 than the aggregate P/E ratio of 18.77 of the Electric Utilities industry. Ideally, one might believe that FirstEnergy Inc. might perform better in the future than it's industry group, but it's probable that the stock is overvalued.

In conclusion, the price-to-earnings ratio is a useful metric for analyzing a company's market performance, but it has its limitations. While a lower P/E can indicate that a company is undervalued, it can also suggest that shareholders do not expect future growth. Additionally, the P/E ratio should not be used in isolation, as other factors such as industry trends and business cycles can also impact a company's stock price. Therefore, investors should use the P/E ratio in conjunction with other financial metrics and qualitative analysis to make informed investment decisions.