Olo Inc.'s (NYSE:OLO) 27% Jump Shows Its Popularity With Investors

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Those holding Olo Inc. (NYSE:OLO) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 27% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 16% over that time.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Olo's P/S ratio of 4.4x, since the median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio for the Software industry in the United States is about the same. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/S ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

Check out our latest analysis for Olo

ps-multiple-vs-industry
ps-multiple-vs-industry

What Does Olo's Recent Performance Look Like?

Olo certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue more than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to wane, which has kept the P/S ratio from rising. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Olo.

How Is Olo's Revenue Growth Trending?

Olo's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 22% gain to the company's top line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 119% 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.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 16% during the coming year according to the six analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be similar to the 15% growth forecast for the broader industry.

With this in mind, it makes sense that Olo's P/S is closely matching its industry peers. Apparently shareholders are comfortable to simply hold on while the company is keeping a low profile.

The Key Takeaway

Olo appears to be back in favour with a solid price jump bringing its P/S back in line with other companies in the industry Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-sales ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

Our look at Olo's revenue growth estimates show that its P/S is about what we expect, as both metrics follow closely with the industry averages. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement or deterioration in revenue isn't great enough to push P/S in a higher or lower direction. All things considered, if the P/S and revenue estimates contain no major shocks, then it's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for Olo you should be aware of.

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.

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