What Camping World Holdings, Inc.'s (NYSE:CWH) 26% Share Price Gain Is Not Telling You

Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CWH) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 26% after a shaky period beforehand. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 20% in the last twelve months.

Even after such a large jump in price, there still wouldn't be many who think Camping World Holdings' price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.2x is worth a mention when the median P/S in the United States' Specialty Retail industry is similar at about 0.4x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/S without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

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See our latest analysis for Camping World Holdings

What Does Camping World Holdings' Recent Performance Look Like?

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

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

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

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 5.1%. Ultimately though, it couldn't turn around the poor performance of the prior period, with revenue shrinking 11% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 3.7% as estimated by the eleven analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 6.1%, which is noticeably more attractive.

In light of this, it's curious that Camping World Holdings' P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as this level of revenue growth is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Key Takeaway

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

When you consider that Camping World Holdings' revenue growth estimates are fairly muted compared to the broader industry, it's easy to see why we consider it unexpected to be trading at its current P/S ratio. At present, we aren't confident in the P/S as the predicted future revenues aren't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. This places shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for Camping World Holdings you should be aware of, and 2 of them make us uncomfortable.

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.