Wag! Group Co. (NASDAQ:PET) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 28% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground. Still, the 30-day jump doesn't change the fact that longer term shareholders have seen their stock decimated by the 87% share price drop in the last twelve months.

Although its price has surged higher, given about half the companies operating in the United States' Consumer Services industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1.3x, you may still consider Wag! Group as an attractive investment with its 0.1x 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 limited.

What Does Wag! Group's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

While the industry has experienced revenue growth lately, Wag! Group's revenue has gone into reverse gear, which is not great. The P/S ratio is probably low because investors think this poor revenue performance isn't going to get any better. If this is the case, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

Is There Any Revenue Growth Forecasted For Wag! Group?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as low as Wag! Group's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 3.2%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow revenue by an impressive 282% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a very good job of growing revenue over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should bring diminished returns, with revenue decreasing 3.3% as estimated by the sole analyst watching the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 13% growth, that's a disappointing outcome.

With this information, we are not surprised that Wag! Group is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.

The Final Word

Wag! Group's stock price has surged recently, but its but its P/S still remains modest. Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

With revenue forecasts that are inferior to the rest of the industry, it's no surprise that Wag! Group's P/S is on the lower end of the spectrum. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

You need to take note of risks, for example - Wag! Group has 5 warning signs (and 1 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.

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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