Ocado Group plc's (LON:OCDO) Stock Retreats 26% But Revenues Haven't Escaped The Attention Of Investors

Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Ocado Group plc (LON:OCDO) share price has dived 26% in the last thirty days, prolonging recent pain. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 33% in that time.

Even after such a large drop in price, when almost half of the companies in the United Kingdom's Consumer Retailing industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.3x, you may still consider Ocado Group as a stock probably not worth researching with its 1x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/S.

View our latest analysis for Ocado Group

How Has Ocado Group Performed Recently?

Ocado Group certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue more than most other companies. It seems the market expects this form will continue into the future, hence the elevated P/S ratio. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Keen to find out how analysts think Ocado Group's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Ocado Group?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Ocado Group would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 12% gain to the company's revenues. Revenue has also lifted 21% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been respectable for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 7.8% per year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to only expand by 2.9% per annum, which is noticeably less attractive.

In light of this, it's understandable that Ocado Group's P/S sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

The Bottom Line On Ocado Group's P/S

There's still some elevation in Ocado Group's P/S, even if the same can't be said for its share price recently. We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

Our look into Ocado Group shows that its P/S ratio remains high on the merit of its strong future revenues. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in revenues is quite remote, justifying the elevated P/S ratio. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 1 warning sign for Ocado Group that we have uncovered.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Ocado Group, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.