CEVA, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:CEVA) Shares May Have Run Too Fast Too Soon

With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 4x in the Semiconductor industry in the United States, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about CEVA, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:CEVA) P/S ratio of 4.5x. 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.

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View our latest analysis for CEVA

What Does CEVA's Recent Performance Look Like?

With revenue growth that's inferior to most other companies of late, CEVA has been relatively sluggish. It might be that many expect the uninspiring revenue performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/S ratio from falling. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

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Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

CEVA's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 17% last year. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen the company endure a nasty 17% drop in revenue in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 4.3% during the coming year according to the four analysts following the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 33% growth, the company is positioned for a weaker revenue result.

With this information, we find it interesting that CEVA is trading at a fairly similar P/S compared to the industry. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Key Takeaway

While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.

Given that CEVA's revenue growth projections are relatively subdued in comparison to the wider industry, it comes as a surprise to see it 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. Circumstances like this present a risk to current and prospective investors who may see share prices fall if the low revenue growth impacts the sentiment.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider before investing and we've discovered 1 warning sign for CEVA that you should be aware of.

If strong companies turning a profit tickle your fancy, then you'll want to check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.