The s& p 500 index is one of the most commonly used benchmark indices for the u. s. equity markets. consisting of 500 companies, it is a market value-weighted index. this means that each company's performance is reflected in the index, weighted by the ratio of the company's value to the total value of all the companies.

based on your understanding of p/e ratios, in which of the following situations would the average trailing p/e ratio (current price divided by earnings per share over the previous 12 months) of the s& p 500 index be higher?
(a) forecast earnings for s& p 500 companies are expected to fall in the future.
(b) forecast earnings for s& p 500 companies are expected to rise in the future.