Getting In Cheap On MSA Safety Incorporated (NYSE:MSA) Is Unlikely

MSA Safety Incorporated's (NYSE:MSA) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 3.8x may look like a poor investment opportunity when you consider close to half the companies in the Commercial Services industry in the United States have P/S ratios below 1.1x. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/S.

Check out our latest analysis for MSA Safety

How MSA Safety Has Been Performing

MSA Safety certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue more than most other companies. The P/S is probably high because investors think this strong revenue performance will continue. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

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

How Is MSA Safety's Revenue Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as steep as MSA Safety's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry decidedly.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 16% gain to the company's top line. The latest three year period has also seen a 30% overall rise in revenue, aided extensively by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing revenue over that time.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 5.1% during the coming year according to the three analysts following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 9.5%, which is noticeably more attractive.

With this information, we find it concerning that MSA Safety is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. It seems most investors are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects, but the analyst cohort is not so confident this will happen. There's a good chance these shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Final Word

Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

It comes as a surprise to see MSA Safety trade at such a high P/S given the revenue forecasts look less than stellar. Right now we aren't comfortable with the high P/S as the predicted future revenues aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. This places shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for MSA Safety (1 is a bit unpleasant) you should be aware of.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.