It's not a stretch to say that Whirlpool Corporation's (NYSE:WHR) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.4x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" for companies in the Consumer Durables industry in the United States, where the median P/S ratio is around 0.7x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

View our latest analysis for Whirlpool

How Has Whirlpool Performed Recently?

Whirlpool hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining revenue compares poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth in their revenues on average. It might be that many expect the dour revenue performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/S from falling. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

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

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For Whirlpool?

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like Whirlpool's is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 9.0%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk revenue by 20% in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the nine analysts covering the company suggest revenue growth is heading into negative territory, declining 0.4% per annum over the next three years. With the industry predicted to deliver 6.0% growth per year, that's a disappointing outcome.

With this information, we find it concerning that Whirlpool is trading at a fairly similar P/S compared to the industry. Apparently many investors in the company reject the analyst cohort's pessimism and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. 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 negative growth outlook.

What We Can Learn From Whirlpool's P/S?

We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

It appears that Whirlpool currently trades on a higher than expected P/S for a company whose revenues are forecast to decline. When we see a gloomy outlook like this, our immediate thoughts are that the share price is at risk of declining, negatively impacting P/S. If the declining revenues were to materialize in the form of a declining share price, shareholders will be feeling the pinch.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Whirlpool (at least 1 which is a bit unpleasant), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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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