Unpleasant Surprises Could Be In Store For LSB Industries, Inc.'s (NYSE:LXU) Shares
With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 1.1x in the Chemicals industry in the United States, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about LSB Industries, Inc.'s (NYSE:LXU) P/S ratio of 0.8x. 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.
View our latest analysis for LSB Industries
What Does LSB Industries' P/S Mean For Shareholders?
LSB Industries 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 the company manages to stay the course, then investors should be rewarded with a share price that matches its revenue figures.
Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on LSB Industries will help you uncover what's on the horizon.
How Is LSB Industries' Revenue Growth Trending?
There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the industry for P/S ratios like LSB Industries' to be considered reasonable.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 34% gain to the company's top line. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 149% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have definitely welcomed those medium-term rates of revenue growth.
Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to slump, contracting by 9.5% each year during the coming three years according to the eight analysts following the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 14% growth per year, that's a disappointing outcome.
In light of this, it's somewhat alarming that LSB Industries' P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company reject the analyst cohort's pessimism and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. There's a good chance these shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the negative growth outlook.
The Bottom Line On LSB Industries' P/S
Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.
While LSB Industries' P/S isn't anything out of the ordinary for companies in the industry, we didn't expect it given forecasts of revenue decline. When we see a gloomy outlook like this, our immediate thoughts are that the share price is at risk of declining, negatively impacting P/S. If the poor revenue outlook tells us one thing, it's that these current price levels could be unsustainable.
We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 2 warning signs for LSB Industries (1 is concerning!) that you need to be mindful 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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