Astrana Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTH) shares have had a horrible month, losing 31% after a relatively good period beforehand. Looking back over the past twelve months the stock has been a solid performer regardless, with a gain of 20%.

Although its price has dipped substantially, Astrana Health's price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 33x might still 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 19x and even P/E's below 11x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

With earnings growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Astrana Health has been doing relatively well. It seems that many are expecting the strong earnings performance to persist, which has raised the P/E. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

How Is Astrana Health's Growth Trending?

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

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 36% last year. Despite this strong recent growth, it's still struggling to catch up as its three-year EPS frustratingly shrank by 24% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing earnings over that time.

Looking ahead now, EPS is anticipated to climb by 20% per year during the coming three years according to the ten analysts following the company. With the market only predicted to deliver 10% per annum, the company is positioned for a stronger earnings result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Astrana Health'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 Astrana Health's P/E?

Astrana Health's shares may have retreated, but its P/E is still flying high. 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 Astrana Health'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. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider before investing and we've discovered 1 warning sign for Astrana Health that you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than Astrana Health. 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.