Revenues Not Telling The Story For Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL)

Marvell Technology, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:MRVL) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 10.5x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the Semiconductor industry in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios below 3.9x and even P/S below 1.5x are quite common. 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 Marvell Technology

How Marvell Technology Has Been Performing

Marvell Technology hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining revenue compares poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth in their revenues on average. It might be that many expect the dour revenue performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/S from collapsing. 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 Marvell Technology will help you uncover what's on the horizon.

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

Marvell Technology's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 5.8%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow revenue by an impressive 90% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would definitely welcome the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 19% per annum over the next three years. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 26% each year, which is noticeably more attractive.

With this information, we find it concerning that Marvell Technology is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. It seems most investors are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects, but the analyst cohort is not so confident this will happen. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as this level of revenue growth is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On Marvell Technology's P/S

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.

Despite analysts forecasting some poorer-than-industry revenue growth figures for Marvell Technology, this doesn't appear to be impacting the P/S in the slightest. Right now we aren't comfortable with the high P/S as the predicted future revenues aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless these conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

Many other vital risk factors can be found on the company's balance sheet. You can assess many of the main risks through our free balance sheet analysis for Marvell Technology with six simple checks.

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.