There wouldn't be many who think Fluor Corporation's (NYSE:FLR) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.5x is worth a mention when the median P/S for the Construction industry in the United States is similar at about 0.9x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/S without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

How Has Fluor Performed Recently?

Recent times haven't been great for Fluor as its revenue has been rising slower than most other companies. It might be that many expect the uninspiring revenue performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/S ratio from falling. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

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

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like Fluor's is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 7.5% gain to the company's revenues. The latest three year period has also seen a 12% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing revenue over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the nine analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 9.0% per year over the next three years. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 8.2% per year, which is not materially different.

In light of this, it's understandable that Fluor's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders are comfortable to simply hold on while the company is keeping a low profile.

The Final Word

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.

A Fluor's P/S seems about right to us given the knowledge that analysts are forecasting a revenue outlook that is similar to the Construction industry. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement or deterioration in revenue isn't great enough to push P/S in a higher or lower direction. If all things remain constant, the possibility of a drastic share price movement remains fairly remote.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider before investing and we've discovered 1 warning sign for Fluor 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com