CEVA, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:CEVA) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 7x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the Semiconductor industry in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios below 4.1x and even P/S below 1.6x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/S.

What Does CEVA's Recent Performance Look Like?

CEVA hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining revenue compares poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth in their revenues on average. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is high because investors think this poor revenue performance will turn the corner. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For CEVA?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 9.9% decrease to the company's top line. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 9.4% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 11% during the coming year according to the five analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 40% growth forecast for the broader industry.

With this information, we find it concerning that CEVA is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as this level of revenue growth is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Final Word

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.

We've concluded that CEVA currently trades on a much higher than expected P/S since its forecast growth is lower than the wider industry. When we see a weak revenue outlook, we suspect the share price faces a much greater risk of declining, bringing back down the P/S figures. Unless these conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these prices as being reasonable.

The company's balance sheet is another key area for risk analysis. Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis for CEVA with six simple checks on some of these key factors.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on CEVA, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.