Despite an already strong run, Symbotic Inc. (NASDAQ:SYM) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 63% in the last thirty days. The last 30 days bring the annual gain to a very sharp 33%.
Since its price has surged higher, given close to half the companies operating in the United States' Machinery industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 1.9x, you may consider Symbotic as a stock to potentially avoid with its 2.8x 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 as high as it is.
See our latest analysis for Symbotic
What Does Symbotic's Recent Performance Look Like?
Recent times have been pleasing for Symbotic as its revenue has risen in spite of the industry's average revenue going into reverse. Perhaps the market is expecting the company's future revenue growth to buck the trend of the industry, contributing to a higher P/S. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.
Keen to find out how analysts think Symbotic's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.How Is Symbotic's Revenue Growth Trending?
Symbotic's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver solid growth, and importantly, perform better than the industry.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 42% last year. Spectacularly, three year revenue growth has ballooned by several orders of magnitude, thanks in part to the last 12 months of revenue growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.
Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 23% each year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. With the industry only predicted to deliver 4.9% per year, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.
With this information, we can see why Symbotic is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.
The Key Takeaway
The large bounce in Symbotic's shares has lifted the company's P/S handsomely. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.
Our look into Symbotic shows that its P/S ratio remains high on the merit of its strong future revenues. It appears that shareholders are confident in the company's future revenues, which is propping up the P/S. Unless the analysts have really missed the mark, these strong revenue forecasts should keep the share price buoyant.
A lot of potential risks can sit within a company's balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for Symbotic with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.
If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.
Valuation is complex, but we're here to simplify it.
Discover if Symbotic might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.
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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.