nLIGHT, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:LASR) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 2.6x may not look like an appealing investment opportunity when you consider close to half the companies in the Electronic industry in the United States have P/S ratios below 1.7x. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/S.

Check out our latest analysis for nLIGHT

What Does nLIGHT's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

With revenue that's retreating more than the industry's average of late, nLIGHT has been very sluggish. It might be that many expect the dismal revenue performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/S from collapsing. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

Keen to find out how analysts think nLIGHT's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

How Is nLIGHT's Revenue Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should outperform the industry for P/S ratios like nLIGHT's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 12% decrease to the company's top line. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 23% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 15% during the coming year according to the seven analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 9.0% growth forecast for the broader industry.

With this information, we can see why nLIGHT is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

The Bottom Line On nLIGHT's 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.

Our look into nLIGHT 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. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 2 warning signs for nLIGHT that we have uncovered.

If you're unsure about the strength of nLIGHT's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.