Investors Aren't Buying Nabors Industries Ltd.'s (NYSE:NBR) Revenues

When you see that almost half of the companies in the Energy Services industry in the United States have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1x, Nabors Industries Ltd. (NYSE:NBR) looks to be giving off some buy signals with its 0.2x P/S ratio. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

See our latest analysis for Nabors Industries

What Does Nabors Industries' P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Recent times haven't been great for Nabors Industries as its revenue has been rising slower than most other companies. It seems that many are expecting the uninspiring revenue performance to persist, which has repressed the growth of the P/S ratio. If you still like the company, you'd be hoping revenue doesn't get any worse and that you could pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Nabors Industries will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Nabors Industries would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 3.4% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 58% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 5.0% during the coming year according to the eight analysts following the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 11% growth, the company is positioned for a weaker revenue result.

With this in consideration, its clear as to why Nabors Industries' P/S is falling short industry peers. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

What We Can Learn From Nabors Industries' P/S?

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.

We've established that Nabors Industries maintains its low P/S on the weakness of its forecast growth being lower than the wider industry, as expected. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. The company will need a change of fortune to justify the P/S rising higher in the future.

Many other vital risk factors can be found on the company's balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for Nabors Industries with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.