Investors Aren't Entirely Convinced By Cardinal Health, Inc.'s (NYSE:CAH) Revenues

When close to half the companies operating in the Healthcare industry in the United States have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1.2x, you may consider Cardinal Health, Inc. (NYSE:CAH) as an attractive investment with its 0.1x P/S ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

View our latest analysis for Cardinal Health

What Does Cardinal Health's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Recent revenue growth for Cardinal Health has been in line with the industry. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to dive, which has kept the P/S suppressed. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

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

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the industry for P/S ratios like Cardinal Health's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 12% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 36% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenues over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 8.4% per annum as estimated by the analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 7.7% per annum, which is not materially different.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Cardinal Health's P/S sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Key Takeaway

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.

Our examination of Cardinal Health's revealed that its P/S remains low despite analyst forecasts of revenue growth matching the wider industry. When we see middle-of-the-road revenue growth like this, we assume it must be the potential risks that are what is placing pressure on the P/S ratio. However, if you agree with the analysts' forecasts, you may be able to pick up the stock at an attractive price.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 4 warning signs for Cardinal Health you should be aware of.

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.