The Cognex Corporation (NASDAQ:CGNX) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 26%. But the gains over the last month weren't enough to make shareholders whole, as the share price is still down 8.0% in the last twelve months.

Since its price has surged higher, given around half the companies in the United States' Electronic industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 1.7x, you may consider Cognex as a stock to avoid entirely with its 9.8x 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 so lofty.

How Has Cognex Performed Recently?

Cognex has been struggling lately as its revenue has declined faster than most other companies. It might be that many expect the dismal revenue performance to recover substantially, which has kept the P/S from collapsing. If not, then existing shareholders may be very nervous about the viability of the share price.

How Is Cognex's Revenue Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the industry for P/S ratios like Cognex's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, the company's revenue growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 8.6%. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 4.0% overall. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 14% per annum over the next three years. With the industry only predicted to deliver 10% per annum, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

With this information, we can see why Cognex is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. It seems most investors are expecting this strong future growth and are willing to pay more for the stock.

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

Cognex's P/S has grown nicely over the last month thanks to a handy boost in the share price. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

As we suspected, our examination of Cognex's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior revenue outlook is contributing to its high P/S. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/S as they are quite confident future revenues aren't under threat. Unless the analysts have really missed the mark, these strong revenue forecasts should keep the share price buoyant.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 1 warning sign for Cognex you should be aware 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.