The Altus Power, Inc. (NYSE:AMPS) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 28%. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 51% share price decline.

Although its price has dipped substantially, given close to half the companies operating in the United States' Renewable Energy industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 2.1x, you may still consider Altus Power as a stock to potentially avoid with its 2.8x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/S.

How Has Altus Power Performed Recently?

Altus Power certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue more than most other companies. The P/S is probably high because investors think this strong revenue performance will continue. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

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

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as high as Altus Power's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 30%. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow revenue by 217% 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 ten analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 27% each year over the next three years. With the industry only predicted to deliver 11% each year, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

With this information, we can see why Altus Power is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

What We Can Learn From Altus Power's P/S?

There's still some elevation in Altus Power's P/S, even if the same can't be said for its share price recently. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Altus Power's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior revenue outlook is contributing to its high P/S. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/S as they are quite confident future revenues aren't under threat. Unless the analysts have really missed the mark, these strong revenue forecasts should keep the share price buoyant.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 3 warning signs for Altus Power (2 don't sit too well with us!) that we have uncovered.

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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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.