Benign Growth For Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) Underpins Stock's 31% Plummet

To the annoyance of some shareholders, Celanese Corporation (NYSE:CE) shares are down a considerable 31% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. The recent drop completes a disastrous twelve months for shareholders, who are sitting on a 77% loss during that time.

After such a large drop in price, it would be understandable if you think Celanese is a stock with good investment prospects with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 0.4x, considering almost half the companies in the United States' Chemicals industry have P/S ratios above 0.9x. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

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Check out our latest analysis for Celanese

What Does Celanese's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Celanese hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining revenue compares poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth in their revenues on average. The P/S ratio is probably low because investors think this poor revenue performance isn't going to get any better. If this is the case, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

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

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

Celanese's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 6.0%. Regardless, revenue has managed to lift by a handy 20% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the earlier period of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a good job of growing revenue over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 1.1% each year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 4.4% growth per year, the company is positioned for a weaker revenue result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Celanese's P/S sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

The Bottom Line On Celanese's P/S

Celanese's recently weak share price has pulled its P/S back below other Chemicals 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 established that Celanese 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. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

You need to take note of risks, for example - Celanese has 3 warning signs (and 1 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of Celanese's 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.