With SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova (BVB:FOSB) It Looks Like You'll Get What You Pay For

SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova's (BVB:FOSB) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.5x may not look like an appealing investment opportunity when you consider close to half the companies in the Energy Services industry in Romania have P/S ratios below 0.9x. However, the P/S might be high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

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Check out our latest analysis for SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova

How Has SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova Performed Recently?

SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing its revenue at a really rapid pace. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to outperform the wider market, which has seemingly got people interested in the stock. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The High P/S Ratio?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 127% gain to the company's top line. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 42% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 10% over the next year, materially lower than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this information, we can see why SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. Presumably shareholders aren't keen to offload something they believe will continue to outmanoeuvre the wider industry.

What Does SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova's P/S Mean For Investors?

While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.

It's no surprise that SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova can support its high P/S given the strong revenue growth its experienced over the last three-year is superior to the current industry outlook. In the eyes of shareholders, the probability of a continued growth trajectory is great enough to prevent the P/S from pulling back. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 2 warning signs for SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that we have uncovered.

If you're unsure about the strength of SC Foraj Sonde SA Craiova's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.