With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 2.5x in the Diversified Financial industry in the United States, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Payoneer Global Inc.'s (NASDAQ:PAYO) P/S ratio of 2.2x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

Check out our latest analysis for Payoneer Global

What Does Payoneer Global's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Recent times haven't been great for Payoneer Global as its revenue has been rising slower than most other companies. It might be that many expect the uninspiring revenue performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/S ratio from falling. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a relatively elevated price for a company with this sort of growth profile.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like Payoneer Global's is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 35% gain to the company's top line. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow revenue by 129% 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 nine analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 15% over the next year. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to only expand by 5.1%, which is noticeably less attractive.

In light of this, it's curious that Payoneer Global's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders are skeptical of the forecasts and have been accepting lower selling prices.

What Does Payoneer Global's P/S Mean For Investors?

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.

We've established that Payoneer Global currently trades on a lower than expected P/S since its forecasted revenue growth is higher than the wider industry. Perhaps uncertainty in the revenue forecasts are what's keeping the P/S ratio consistent with the rest of the industry. It appears some are indeed anticipating revenue instability, because these conditions should normally provide a boost to the share price.

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

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Payoneer Global, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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