Dawson Geophysical Company (NASDAQ:DWSN) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 30% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground. Looking further back, the 10% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

Even after such a large jump in price, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Dawson Geophysical's P/S ratio of 0.5x, since the median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio for the Energy Services industry in the United States is also close to 1x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

What Does Dawson Geophysical's Recent Performance Look Like?

Dawson Geophysical certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing its revenue at a really rapid pace. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to wane, which has kept the share price, and thus the P/S ratio, from rising. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 158% gain to the company's top line. As a result, it also grew revenue by 12% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing revenue over that time.

This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 12% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this information, we find it interesting that Dawson Geophysical is trading at a fairly similar P/S compared to the industry. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

What We Can Learn From Dawson Geophysical's P/S?

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

Our examination of Dawson Geophysical revealed its poor three-year revenue trends aren't resulting in a lower P/S as per our expectations, given they look worse than current industry outlook. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/S as this revenue performance isn't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, it's hard to accept the current share price as fair value.

Plus, you should also learn about these 3 warning signs we've spotted with Dawson Geophysical.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Dawson Geophysical, 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.