There's Reason For Concern Over Workiva Inc.'s (NYSE:WK) Price

Workiva Inc.'s (NYSE:WK) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 7.2x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the Software industry in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios below 4.3x and even P/S below 1.8x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/S.

See our latest analysis for Workiva

How Has Workiva Performed Recently?

There hasn't been much to differentiate Workiva's and the industry's revenue growth lately. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to improve, justifying the currently elevated P/S. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

Keen to find out how analysts think Workiva's 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 Workiva?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Workiva would need to produce outstanding growth that's well in excess of the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 17%. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 79% overall rise in revenue, aided by its short-term performance. 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 17% per annum as estimated by the ten analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 15% each year, which is not materially different.

With this information, we find it interesting that Workiva is trading at a high P/S compared to the industry. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly average growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for 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.

Analysts are forecasting Workiva's revenues to only grow on par with the rest of the industry, which has lead to the high P/S ratio being unexpected. Right now we are uncomfortable with the relatively high share price as the predicted future revenues aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. A positive change is needed in order to justify the current price-to-sales ratio.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Workiva (1 is significant) you should be aware of.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Workiva, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.