Great Elm Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEG) Could Be Riskier Than It Looks

With a price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 2.9x Great Elm Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:GEG) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all the Capital Markets companies in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 3.7x and even P/S higher than 11x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

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See our latest analysis for Great Elm Group

What Does Great Elm Group's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Recent times have been quite advantageous for Great Elm Group as its revenue has been rising very briskly. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/S ratio. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

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 Great Elm Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/S?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as low as Great Elm Group's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 64% gain to the company's top line. However, the latest three year period hasn't been as great in aggregate as it didn't manage to provide any growth at all. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing revenue over that time.

Weighing that recent medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 2.1% shows it's about the same on an annualised basis.

With this in consideration, we find it intriguing that Great Elm Group's P/S falls short of its industry peers. Apparently some shareholders are more bearish than recent times would indicate and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Final Word

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.

The fact that Great Elm Group currently trades at a low P/S relative to the industry is unexpected considering its recent three-year growth is in line with the wider industry forecast. When we see industry-like revenue growth but a lower than expected P/S, we assume potential risks are what might be placing downward pressure on the share price. It appears some are indeed anticipating revenue instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions should normally provide more support to the share price.

Having said that, be aware Great Elm Group is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.

If strong companies turning a profit tickle your fancy, then you'll want to check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.