Intapp, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:INTA) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 8.3x 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 4.7x 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 Intapp
With revenue growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Intapp has been doing relatively well. It seems that many are expecting the strong revenue performance to persist, which has raised the P/S. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.
Keen to find out how analysts think Intapp's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.Intapp's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 23% last year. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 101% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.
Shifting to the future, estimates from the ten analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 14% per annum over the next three years. With the industry predicted to deliver 20% growth each year, the company is positioned for a weaker revenue result.
With this information, we find it concerning that Intapp is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. 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 growth outlook.
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.
We've concluded that Intapp currently trades on a much higher than expected P/S since its forecast growth is lower than the wider industry. Right now we aren't comfortable with the high P/S as the predicted future revenues aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. This places shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.
It is also worth noting that we have found 3 warning signs for Intapp that you need to take into consideration.
If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Intapp, 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.