Despite an already strong run, The GEO Group, Inc. (NYSE:GEO) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 32% in the last thirty days. The annual gain comes to 176% following the latest surge, making investors sit up and take notice.

Even after such a large jump in price, there still wouldn't be many who think GEO Group's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.6x is worth a mention when the median P/S in the United States' Commercial Services industry is similar at about 1.4x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

What Does GEO Group's Recent Performance Look Like?

GEO Group 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. It might be that many expect the dour revenue performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/S 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 GEO Group's is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.

Taking a look back first, we see that there was hardly any revenue growth to speak of for the company over the past year. Fortunately, a few good years before that means that it was still able to grow revenue by 6.5% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say that revenue growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 9.2% as estimated by the five analysts watching the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 8.6% growth , the company is positioned for a comparable revenue result.

With this information, we can see why GEO Group is trading at a fairly similar P/S to the industry. Apparently shareholders are comfortable to simply hold on while the company is keeping a low profile.

What Does GEO Group's P/S Mean For Investors?

Its shares have lifted substantially and now GEO Group's P/S is back within range of the industry median. 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.

A GEO Group's P/S seems about right to us given the knowledge that analysts are forecasting a revenue outlook that is similar to the Commercial Services 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. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to support the share price at these levels.

You need to take note of risks, for example - GEO Group has 5 warning signs (and 1 which is significant) we think you should know about.

If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.