Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Lumentum Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:LITE) share price has dived 26% in the last thirty days, prolonging recent pain. Indeed, the recent drop has reduced its annual gain to a relatively sedate 8.0% over the last twelve months.

Even after such a large drop in price, given close to half the companies operating in the United States' Communications industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 1.3x, you may still consider Lumentum Holdings as a stock to potentially avoid with its 2.4x P/S ratio. However, the P/S might be high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

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View our latest analysis for Lumentum Holdings

What Does Lumentum Holdings' Recent Performance Look Like?

While the industry has experienced revenue growth lately, Lumentum Holdings' revenue has gone into reverse gear, which is not great. It might be that many expect the dour 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 Lumentum Holdings' future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start .

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

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

Taking a look back first, the company's revenue growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 1.9%. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 17% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 30% during the coming year according to the analysts following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to only expand by 9.6%, which is noticeably less attractive.

In light of this, it's understandable that Lumentum Holdings' P/S sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

The Key Takeaway

Lumentum Holdings' P/S remain high even after its stock plunged. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

We've established that Lumentum Holdings maintains its high P/S on the strength of its forecasted revenue growth being higher than the the rest of the Communications industry, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in revenues is quite remote, justifying the elevated P/S ratio. Unless the analysts have really missed the mark, these strong revenue forecasts should keep the share price buoyant.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Lumentum Holdings (at least 1 which is a bit unpleasant), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

If strong companies turning a profit tickle your fancy, then you'll want to check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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.