Axon Enterprise, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AXON) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 18.1x may look like a poor investment opportunity when you consider close to half the companies in the Aerospace & Defense industry in the United States have P/S ratios below 2.3x. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/S.
Check out our latest analysis for Axon Enterprise
Axon Enterprise certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue more than most other companies. The P/S is probably high because investors think this strong revenue performance will continue. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.
If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Axon Enterprise.There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the industry for P/S ratios like Axon Enterprise's to be considered reasonable.
If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 33%. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 125% 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 climb by 24% during the coming year according to the analysts following the company. With the industry only predicted to deliver 13%, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.
With this information, we can see why Axon Enterprise is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.
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 into Axon Enterprise shows that its P/S ratio remains high on the merit of its strong future revenues. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/S as they are quite confident future revenues aren't under threat. Unless the analysts have really missed the mark, these strong revenue forecasts should keep the share price buoyant.
Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Axon Enterprise that you should be aware of.
If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.
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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.