When you see that almost half of the companies in the Insurance industry in the United States have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1x, United Fire Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:UFCS) looks to be giving off some buy signals with its 0.5x 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 limited.

View our latest analysis for United Fire Group

How United Fire Group Has Been Performing

Recent revenue growth for United Fire Group has been in line with the industry. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is low because investors think this modest revenue performance may begin to slide. Those who are bullish on United Fire Group will be hoping that this isn't the case.

Is There Any Revenue Growth Forecasted For United Fire Group?

United Fire Group's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 12%. Still, revenue has barely risen at all in aggregate from three years ago, which is not ideal. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing revenue over that time.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 1.8% during the coming year according to the only analyst following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 6.4%, which is noticeably more attractive.

With this in consideration, its clear as to why United Fire Group's 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.

The Final Word

While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.

As we suspected, our examination of United Fire Group's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior revenue outlook is contributing to its low P/S. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. The company will need a change of fortune to justify the P/S rising higher in the future.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with United Fire Group, and understanding should be part of your investment process.

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.