DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc.'s (NYSE:DV) Earnings Haven't Escaped The Attention Of Investors

With a price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 10.9x DoubleVerify Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:DV) may be sending very bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all the Software companies in the United States have P/S ratios under 4.3x and even P/S lower than 1.7x are not unusual. However, the P/S might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

View our latest analysis for DoubleVerify Holdings

How DoubleVerify Holdings Has Been Performing

With revenue growth that's superior to most other companies of late, DoubleVerify Holdings has been doing relatively well. It seems the market expects this form will continue into the future, hence the elevated P/S ratio. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

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

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For DoubleVerify Holdings?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as steep as DoubleVerify Holdings' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry decidedly.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 26%. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow revenue by 139% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 23% per year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to only expand by 17% per year, which is noticeably less attractive.

With this information, we can see why DoubleVerify Holdings is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

What We Can Learn From DoubleVerify Holdings' P/S?

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.

As we suspected, our examination of DoubleVerify Holdings' analyst forecasts revealed that its superior revenue outlook is contributing to its high P/S. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in revenues is quite remote, justifying the elevated P/S ratio. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for DoubleVerify Holdings you should know about.

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.