Why Investors Shouldn't Be Surprised By Good Times Restaurants Inc.'s (NASDAQ:GTIM) Low P/S

When you see that almost half of the companies in the Hospitality industry in the United States have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1.3x, Good Times Restaurants Inc. (NASDAQ:GTIM) looks to be giving off some buy signals with its 0.2x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

View our latest analysis for Good Times Restaurants

What Does Good Times Restaurants' Recent Performance Look Like?

For example, consider that Good Times Restaurants' financial performance has been pretty ordinary lately as revenue growth is non-existent. One possibility is that the P/S is low because investors think this benign revenue growth rate will likely underperform the broader industry in the near future. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Good Times Restaurants will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

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

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Good Times Restaurants would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's top line as the year before. Still, the latest three year period was better as it's delivered a decent 30% overall rise in revenue. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 15% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this information, we can see why Good Times Restaurants is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

The Bottom Line On Good Times Restaurants' P/S

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.

In line with expectations, Good Times Restaurants maintains its low P/S on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider industry forecast. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price experience a reversal of fortunes anytime soon.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 2 warning signs for Good Times Restaurants (1 is concerning!) that we have uncovered.

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.