PubMatic, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:PUBM) Earnings Haven't Escaped The Attention Of Investors

PubMatic, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:PUBM) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 3.2x may look like a poor investment opportunity when you consider close to half the companies in the Media industry in the United States have P/S ratios below 1x. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

Check out our latest analysis for PubMatic

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

PubMatic could be doing better as its revenue has been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive revenue growth. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is high because investors think this poor revenue performance will turn the corner. If not, then existing shareholders may be extremely 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 PubMatic.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The High P/S Ratio?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the industry for P/S ratios like PubMatic's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's top line as the year before. Although pleasingly revenue has lifted 102% in aggregate from three years ago, notwithstanding the last 12 months. So while the company has done a solid job in the past, it's somewhat concerning to see revenue growth decline as much as it has.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the eleven analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 11% per annum over the next three years. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 3.8% per year growth forecast for the broader industry.

With this information, we can see why PubMatic is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

What Does PubMatic's P/S Mean For Investors?

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.

We've established that PubMatic maintains its high P/S on the strength of its forecasted revenue growth being higher than the the rest of the Media industry, as expected. It appears that shareholders are confident in the company's future revenues, which is propping up the P/S. Unless the analysts have really missed the mark, these strong revenue forecasts should keep the share price buoyant.

Having said that, be aware PubMatic is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, you should know about.

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.