With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 11.6x in the Biotechs industry in the United States, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Vericel Corporation's (NASDAQ:VCEL) P/S ratio of 9.5x.  However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.    

View our latest analysis for Vericel

NasdaqGM:VCEL Price to Sales Ratio vs Industry December 18th 2023

What Does Vericel's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Vericel could be doing better as it's been growing revenue less than most other companies lately.   Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to lift, which has kept the P/S from declining.  If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.    

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

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The P/S?  

Vericel's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.  

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 16%.   The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 57% overall rise in revenue, aided by its short-term performance.  Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.  

Shifting to the future, estimates from the six analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 25% per year over the next three years.  Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 221% each year, which is noticeably more attractive.

In light of this, it's curious that Vericel's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies.  It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock.  Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as this level of revenue growth is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.  

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

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.

Given that Vericel's revenue growth projections are relatively subdued in comparison to the wider industry, it comes as a surprise to see it trading at its current P/S ratio.  When we see companies with a relatively weaker revenue outlook compared to the industry, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the moderate P/S lower.  A positive change is needed in order to justify the current price-to-sales ratio.    

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 1 warning sign for Vericel that you need to be mindful of.  

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.