Market Cool On The Hain Celestial Group, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:HAIN) Revenues Pushing Shares 29% Lower

Unfortunately for some shareholders, the The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAIN) share price has dived 29% in the last thirty days, prolonging recent pain. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 66% share price decline.

Following the heavy fall in price, considering around half the companies operating in the United States' Food industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 0.9x, you may consider Hain Celestial Group as an solid investment opportunity with its 0.3x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

Check out our latest analysis for Hain Celestial Group

How Has Hain Celestial Group Performed Recently?

While the industry has experienced revenue growth lately, Hain Celestial Group's revenue has gone into reverse gear, which is not great. The P/S ratio is probably low because investors think this poor revenue performance isn't going to get any better. So while you could say the stock is cheap, investors will be looking for improvement before they see it as good value.

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

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 Hain Celestial Group's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 3.8% decrease to the company's top line. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 15% overall. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 3.1% per year as estimated by the twelve analysts watching the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 2.8% growth per annum, the company is positioned for a comparable revenue result.

With this in consideration, we find it intriguing that Hain Celestial Group's P/S is lagging behind its industry peers. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.

The Final Word

Hain Celestial Group's recently weak share price has pulled its P/S back below other Food companies. We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

We've seen that Hain Celestial Group currently trades on a lower than expected P/S since its forecast growth is in line with the wider industry. The low P/S could be an indication that the revenue growth estimates are being questioned by the market. However, if you agree with the analysts' forecasts, you may be able to pick up the stock at an attractive price.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Hain Celestial Group, and understanding should be part of your investment process.

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.

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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.