When close to half the companies in the Media industry in the United States have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.9x, you may consider Boston Omaha Corporation (NYSE:BOC) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 4.3x P/S ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

How Has Boston Omaha Performed Recently?

Boston Omaha certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue more than most other companies. It seems that many are expecting the strong revenue performance to persist, which has raised the P/S. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Boston Omaha?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Boston Omaha would need to produce outstanding growth that's well in excess of the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 12%. This was backed up an excellent period prior to see revenue up by 98% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenues over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the two analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 8.4% over the next year. With the industry only predicted to deliver 3.8%, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

With this in mind, it's not hard to understand why Boston Omaha's P/S is high relative to its industry peers. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

The Key Takeaway

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 Boston Omaha's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior revenue outlook is contributing to its high P/S. It appears that shareholders are confident in the company's future revenues, which is propping up the P/S. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

Having said that, be aware Boston Omaha is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.

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.