Investors Don't See Light At End Of Optiva Inc.'s (TSE:OPT) Tunnel

With a price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.7x Optiva Inc. (TSE:OPT) may be sending very bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all the Software companies in Canada have P/S ratios greater than 3.2x and even P/S higher than 10x are not unusual. However, the P/S might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

View our latest analysis for Optiva

How Has Optiva Performed Recently?

Optiva hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining revenue compares poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth in their revenues on average. Perhaps the P/S remains low as investors think the prospects of strong revenue growth aren't on the horizon. So while you could say the stock is cheap, investors will be looking for improvement before they see it as good value.

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Optiva will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

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

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Optiva would need to produce anemic growth that's substantially trailing the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 20% decrease to the company's top line. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 36% overall. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the lone analyst covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 8.5% over the next year. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 21%, which is noticeably more attractive.

With this in consideration, its clear as to why Optiva's P/S is falling short industry peers. It seems most investors are expecting to see limited future growth and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

The Final Word

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

As we suspected, our examination of Optiva's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior revenue outlook is contributing to its low P/S. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Optiva (at least 2 which are potentially serious), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.