Viasat, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 29% gain and recovering from prior weakness.    Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 13% over that time.  

In spite of the firm bounce in price, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Viasat's P/S ratio of 0.9x, since the median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio for the Communications industry in the United States is also close to 1.1x.  However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.    

Check out our latest analysis for Viasat

NasdaqGS:VSAT Price to Sales Ratio vs Industry December 19th 2023

How Has Viasat Performed Recently?

With revenue growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Viasat has been doing relatively well.   It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to wane, which has kept the P/S ratio from rising.  If the company manages to stay the course, then investors should be rewarded with a share price that matches its revenue figures.    

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

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?  

Viasat's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.  

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 34%.   The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow revenue by 47% in total over the last three years.  So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenue over that time.  

Shifting to the future, estimates from the seven analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 31% over the next year.  That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 0.4% growth forecast for the broader industry.

In light of this, it's curious that Viasat's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies.  Apparently some shareholders are skeptical of the forecasts and have been accepting lower selling prices.  

What Does Viasat's P/S Mean For Investors?

Viasat's stock has a lot of momentum behind it lately, which has brought its P/S level with the rest of the industry.      While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.

Despite enticing revenue growth figures that outpace the industry, Viasat's P/S isn't quite what we'd expect.  There could be some risks that the market is pricing in, which is preventing the P/S ratio from matching the positive outlook.  It appears some are indeed anticipating revenue instability, because these conditions should normally provide a boost to the share price.    

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 2 warning signs for Viasat (1 is a bit concerning!) that you need to be mindful of.  

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Viasat, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.