There's Reason For Concern Over LiveOne, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:LVO) Massive 26% Price Jump

LiveOne, Inc. (NASDAQ:LVO) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 26% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 11% in the last twelve months.

Even after such a large jump in price, there still wouldn't be many who think LiveOne's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.9x is worth a mention when the median P/S in the United States' Entertainment industry is similar at about 1.3x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/S ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

View our latest analysis for LiveOne

How LiveOne Has Been Performing

LiveOne could be doing better as it's been growing revenue less than most other companies lately. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is moderate because investors think this lacklustre revenue performance will turn around. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a relatively elevated price for a company with this sort of growth profile.

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

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like LiveOne's is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 17% last year. Revenue has also lifted 27% in aggregate from three years ago, mostly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing revenue over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should bring diminished returns, with revenue decreasing 5.1% as estimated by the five analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the broader industry is forecast to expand by 12%, which paints a poor picture.

With this information, we find it concerning that LiveOne is trading at a fairly similar P/S compared to the industry. Apparently many investors in the company reject the analyst cohort's pessimism and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as these declining revenues are likely to weigh on the share price eventually.

The Final Word

LiveOne appears to be back in favour with a solid price jump bringing its P/S back in line with other companies in the industry 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.

It appears that LiveOne currently trades on a higher than expected P/S for a company whose revenues are forecast to decline. When we see a gloomy outlook like this, our immediate thoughts are that the share price is at risk of declining, negatively impacting P/S. If we consider the revenue outlook, the P/S seems to indicate that potential investors may be paying a premium for the stock.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with LiveOne (at least 1 which makes us a bit uncomfortable), and understanding these 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.