With a price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 23.2x CRISPR Therapeutics AG (NASDAQ:CRSP) may be sending very bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all the Biotechs companies in the United States have P/S ratios under 10.6x and even P/S lower than 4x are not unusual. 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 CRISPR Therapeutics' Recent Performance Look Like?

CRISPR Therapeutics could be doing better as it's been growing revenue less than most other companies lately. It might be that many expect the uninspiring revenue performance to recover significantly, which has kept the P/S ratio from collapsing. If not, then existing shareholders may be very nervous about the viability of the share price.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For CRISPR Therapeutics?

CRISPR Therapeutics' P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 19% last year. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen the company endure a nasty 78% drop in revenue in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 63% each year as estimated by the analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially lower than the 122% each year growth forecast for the broader industry.

With this information, we find it concerning that CRISPR Therapeutics is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. It seems most investors are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects, but the analyst cohort is not so confident this will happen. There's a good chance these shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Bottom Line On CRISPR Therapeutics' P/S

Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-sales ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

It comes as a surprise to see CRISPR Therapeutics trade at such a high P/S given the revenue forecasts look less than stellar. Right now we aren't comfortable with the high P/S as the predicted future revenues aren't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. This places shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for CRISPR Therapeutics 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.