Investors Don't See Light At End Of FirstGroup plc's (LON:FGP) Tunnel

When you see that almost half of the companies in the Transportation industry in the United Kingdom have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 0.7x, FirstGroup plc (LON:FGP) looks to be giving off some buy signals with its 0.2x P/S ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

See our latest analysis for FirstGroup

What Does FirstGroup's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

With revenue growth that's inferior to most other companies of late, FirstGroup has been relatively sluggish. The P/S ratio is probably low because investors think this lacklustre revenue performance isn't going to get any better. If this is the case, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

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

How Is FirstGroup's Revenue Growth Trending?

FirstGroup's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 7.4% last year. Revenue has also lifted 10% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing revenue over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should bring diminished returns, with revenue decreasing 29% per year as estimated by the four analysts watching the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 1.3% growth per annum, that's a disappointing outcome.

With this in consideration, we find it intriguing that FirstGroup's P/S is closely matching its industry peers. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as the weak outlook is weighing down the shares.

The Key Takeaway

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-sales ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

With revenue forecasts that are inferior to the rest of the industry, it's no surprise that FirstGroup's P/S is on the lower end of the spectrum. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with FirstGroup (including 1 which is potentially serious).

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

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.