With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 0.9x in the Media industry in the United States, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about WideOpenWest, Inc.'s (NYSE:WOW) P/S ratio of 0.5x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

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

WideOpenWest could be doing better as its revenue has been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive revenue growth. It might be that many expect the dour revenue performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/S from falling. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For WideOpenWest?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, WideOpenWest would need to produce growth that's similar to the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's top line as the year before. The lack of growth did nothing to help the company's aggregate three-year performance, which is an unsavory 16% drop in revenue. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should bring diminished returns, with revenue decreasing 2.1% per year as estimated by the five analysts watching the company. That's not great when the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 5.4% per year.

With this in consideration, we think it doesn't make sense that WideOpenWest's P/S is closely matching its industry peers. It seems most investors are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects, but the analyst cohort is not so confident this will happen. 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.

The Key Takeaway

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.

It appears that WideOpenWest currently trades on a higher than expected P/S for a company whose revenues are forecast to decline. With this in mind, we don't feel the current P/S is justified as declining revenues are unlikely to support a more positive sentiment for long. If we consider the revenue outlook, the P/S seems to indicate that potential investors may be paying a premium for the stock.

Having said that, be aware WideOpenWest is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those is potentially serious.

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).

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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.