With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 1x in the Energy Services industry in the United States, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Baker Hughes Company's (NASDAQ:BKR) P/S ratio of 1.3x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

How Has Baker Hughes Performed Recently?

With revenue growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Baker Hughes has been doing relatively well. Perhaps the market is expecting this level of performance to taper off, keeping the P/S from soaring. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

Baker Hughes' 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 19%. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow revenue by 31% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 5.5% each year over the next three years. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 7.4% per annum, which is not materially different.

With this information, we can see why Baker Hughes is trading at a fairly similar P/S to the industry. Apparently shareholders are comfortable to simply hold on while the company is keeping a low profile.

What We Can Learn From Baker Hughes' P/S?

Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

Our look at Baker Hughes' revenue growth estimates show that its P/S is about what we expect, as both metrics follow closely with the industry averages. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/S as they are quite confident future revenue won't throw up any surprises. If all things remain constant, the possibility of a drastic share price movement remains fairly remote.

It is also worth noting that we have found 1 warning sign for Baker Hughes that you need to take into consideration.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com