Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Corporation Limited's (NZSE:FPH) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 10.1x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the Medical Equipment industry in New Zealand, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios below 5.4x and even P/S below 1.7x are quite common. However, the P/S might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

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View our latest analysis for Fisher & Paykel Healthcare

What Does Fisher & Paykel Healthcare's Recent Performance Look Like?

Fisher & Paykel Healthcare's revenue growth of late has been pretty similar to most other companies. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to improve, justifying the currently elevated P/S. 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 Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/S?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as steep as Fisher & Paykel Healthcare's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry decidedly.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 12% last year. Still, lamentably revenue has fallen 3.6% in aggregate from three years ago, which is disappointing. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 13% each year over the next three years. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 12% each year, which is not materially different.

With this information, we find it interesting that Fisher & Paykel Healthcare is trading at a high P/S compared to the industry. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly average growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Final Word

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.

Seeing as its revenues are forecast to grow in line with the wider industry, it would appear that Fisher & Paykel Healthcare currently trades on a higher than expected P/S. Right now we are uncomfortable with the relatively high share price as the predicted future revenues aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless the company can jump ahead of the rest of the industry in the short-term, it'll be a challenge to maintain the share price at current levels.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with Fisher & Paykel Healthcare.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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.