It's Down 27% But Sphere 3D Corp. (NASDAQ:ANY) Could Be Riskier Than It Looks

To the annoyance of some shareholders, Sphere 3D Corp. (NASDAQ:ANY) shares are down a considerable 27% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 48% in that time.

After such a large drop in price, Sphere 3D may be sending very bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1x, since almost half of all companies in the Software industry in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 4.4x and even P/S higher than 11x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so limited.

See our latest analysis for Sphere 3D

How Sphere 3D Has Been Performing

Recent times have been advantageous for Sphere 3D as its revenues have been rising faster than most other companies. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to dive, which has kept the P/S suppressed. If the company manages to stay the course, then investors should be rewarded with a share price that matches its revenue figures.

Keen to find out how analysts think Sphere 3D's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as depressed as Sphere 3D's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry decidedly.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, we see the company's revenues grew exponentially. The amazing performance means it was also able to deliver huge revenue growth over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have been over the moon with those medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the lone analyst covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 18% over the next year. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 15% growth forecast for the broader industry.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Sphere 3D's P/S sits below the majority of other companies. It looks like most investors are not convinced at all that the company can achieve future growth expectations.

The Bottom Line On Sphere 3D's P/S

Having almost fallen off a cliff, Sphere 3D's share price has pulled its P/S way down as well. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

To us, it seems Sphere 3D currently trades on a significantly depressed P/S given its forecasted revenue growth is higher than the rest of its industry. The reason for this depressed P/S could potentially be found in the risks the market is pricing in. While the possibility of the share price plunging seems unlikely due to the high growth forecasted for the company, the market does appear to have some hesitation.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 5 warning signs for Sphere 3D (4 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.