Limoneira Company (NASDAQ:LMNR) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 30% after a shaky period beforehand. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 39% in the last year.

Following the firm bounce in price, when almost half of the companies in the United States' Food industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.8x, you may consider Limoneira as a stock probably not worth researching with its 1.8x 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 as high as it is.

Check out our latest analysis for Limoneira

What Does Limoneira's Recent Performance Look Like?

Limoneira hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining revenue compares poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth in their revenues on average. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is high because investors think this poor revenue performance will turn the corner. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

How Is Limoneira's Revenue Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Limoneira would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that there was hardly any revenue growth to speak of for the company over the past year. Likewise, not much has changed from three years ago as revenue have been stuck during that whole time. Therefore, it's fair to say that revenue growth has definitely eluded the company recently.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 7.8% during the coming year according to the five analysts following the company. With the industry only predicted to deliver 2.1%, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

In light of this, it's understandable that Limoneira's P/S sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

What Does Limoneira's P/S Mean For Investors?

Limoneira's P/S is on the rise since its shares have risen strongly. 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 Limoneira's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior revenue outlook is contributing to its high P/S. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in revenues is quite remote, justifying the elevated P/S ratio. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Limoneira (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.