Constellation Brands, Inc.'s (NYSE:STZ) Popularity With Investors Is Under Threat From Overpricing

When close to half the companies in the Beverage industry in the United States have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 2.5x, you may consider Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 4.7x P/S ratio. However, the P/S might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Check out our latest analysis for Constellation Brands

What Does Constellation Brands' Recent Performance Look Like?

With revenue growth that's inferior to most other companies of late, Constellation Brands has been relatively sluggish. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to undergo a reversal of fortunes, which has elevated the P/S ratio. If not, then existing shareholders may be very nervous about the viability of the share price.

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Constellation Brands.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Constellation Brands?

Constellation Brands' P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 2.8% gain to the company's revenues. The latest three year period has also seen a 15% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been respectable for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 6.3% per year over the next three years. That's shaping up to be similar to the 5.6% per year growth forecast for the broader industry.

With this information, we find it interesting that Constellation Brands is trading at a high P/S compared to the industry. Apparently many investors in the company are more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Although, additional gains will be difficult to achieve as this level of revenue growth is likely to weigh down the share price eventually.

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.

Given Constellation Brands' future revenue forecasts are in line with the wider industry, the fact that it trades at an elevated P/S is somewhat surprising. Right now we are uncomfortable with the relatively high share price as the predicted future revenues aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. A positive change is needed in order to justify the current price-to-sales ratio.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for Constellation Brands you should be aware of.

If you're unsure about the strength of Constellation Brands' business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.