ENGlobal Corporation (NASDAQ:ENG) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 26% share price drop in the last month. The recent drop completes a disastrous twelve months for shareholders, who are sitting on a 75% loss during that time.

Following the heavy fall in price, considering around half the companies operating in the United States' Energy Services industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 0.9x, you may consider ENGlobal as an solid investment opportunity with its 0.2x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

View our latest analysis for ENGlobal

How Has ENGlobal Performed Recently?

The recent revenue growth at ENGlobal would have to be considered satisfactory if not spectacular. Perhaps the market believes the recent revenue performance might fall short of industry figures in the near future, leading to a reduced P/S. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders may have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as low as ENGlobal's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 5.1% last year. Still, lamentably revenue has fallen 41% in aggregate from three years ago, which is disappointing. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 13% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

With this information, we are not surprised that ENGlobal is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. However, we think shrinking revenues are unlikely to lead to a stable P/S over the longer term, which could set up shareholders for future disappointment. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.

The Final Word

ENGlobal's recently weak share price has pulled its P/S back below other Energy Services companies. 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.

Our examination of ENGlobal confirms that the company's shrinking revenue over the past medium-term is a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, given the industry is projected to grow. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we've discovered 4 warning signs for ENGlobal (3 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

If strong companies turning a profit tickle your fancy, then you'll want to check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.