Noodles & Company (NASDAQ:NDLS) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 29% after a shaky period beforehand.    Still, the 30-day jump doesn't change the fact that longer term shareholders have seen their stock decimated by the 52% share price drop in the last twelve months.  

Even after such a large jump in price, considering around half the companies operating in the United States' Hospitality industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1.3x, you may still consider Noodles as an solid investment opportunity with its 0.2x P/S ratio.   However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.  

See our latest analysis for Noodles

NasdaqGS:NDLS Price to Sales Ratio vs Industry November 14th 2023

What Does Noodles' P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Noodles could be doing better as it's been growing revenue less than most other companies lately.   It seems that many are expecting the uninspiring revenue performance to persist, which has repressed the growth of the P/S ratio.  If this is the case, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.    

Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Noodles will help you uncover what's on the horizon.  

Is There Any Revenue Growth Forecasted For Noodles?  

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

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 5.4%.   The solid recent performance means it was also able to grow revenue by 29% in total over the last three years.  Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of revenue growth.  

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 2.3% during the coming year according to the four analysts following the company.  That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 18% growth forecast for the broader industry.

With this in consideration, its clear as to why Noodles' P/S is falling short industry peers.  Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.  

What We Can Learn From Noodles' P/S?

Despite Noodles' share price climbing recently, its P/S still lags most other companies.      We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

As we suspected, our examination of Noodles' analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior revenue outlook is contributing to its low P/S.  Shareholders' pessimism on the revenue prospects for the company seems to be the main contributor to the depressed P/S.  The company will need a change of fortune to justify the P/S rising higher in the future.    

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

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.