Evolus, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:EOLS) Shares Climb 27% But Its Business Is Yet to Catch Up

Evolus, Inc. (NASDAQ:EOLS) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 27% gain in the last month alone. Looking further back, the 19% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

Since its price has surged higher, Evolus may be sending bearish signals at the moment with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 3.9x, since almost half of all companies in the Pharmaceuticals in the United States have P/S ratios under 3x and even P/S lower than 0.7x are not unusual. However, the P/S might be high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Check out our latest analysis for Evolus

What Does Evolus' P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Recent times haven't been great for Evolus as its revenue has been rising slower than most other companies. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is high because investors think this lacklustre revenue performance will improve markedly. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Evolus will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

How Is Evolus' Revenue Growth Trending?

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

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 32% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 233% overall rise in revenue, aided by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the seven analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 32% each year over the next three years. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 49% per year growth forecast for the broader industry.

In light of this, it's alarming that Evolus' P/S sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. There's a good chance these shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

What Does Evolus' P/S Mean For Investors?

Evolus shares have taken a big step in a northerly direction, but its P/S is elevated as a result. 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.

We've concluded that Evolus currently trades on a much higher than expected P/S since its forecast growth is lower than the wider industry. The weakness in the company's revenue estimate doesn't bode well for the elevated P/S, which could take a fall if the revenue sentiment doesn't improve. This places shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with Evolus (at least 1 which can't be ignored), and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.