Flotek Industries, Inc. (NYSE:FTK) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 38% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Longer-term shareholders would be thankful for the recovery in the share price since it's now virtually flat for the year after the recent bounce.

Although its price has surged higher, considering around half the companies operating in the United States' Chemicals industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1.5x, you may still consider Flotek Industries as an solid investment opportunity with its 0.8x P/S ratio. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

How Flotek Industries Has Been Performing

Flotek Industries certainly has been doing a good job lately as its revenue growth has been positive while most other companies have been seeing their revenue go backwards. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to degrade substantially, possibly more than the industry, which has repressed the P/S. Those who are bullish on Flotek Industries will be hoping that this isn't the case and the company continues to beat out the industry.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

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

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 5.4%. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 297% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenues over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the one analyst covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 16% over the next year. With the industry only predicted to deliver 6.5%, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

With this in consideration, we find it intriguing that Flotek Industries' P/S sits behind most of its industry peers. Apparently some shareholders are doubtful of the forecasts and have been accepting significantly lower selling prices.

The Final Word

Despite Flotek Industries' share price climbing recently, its P/S still lags most other companies. 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.

A look at Flotek Industries' revenues reveals that, despite glowing future growth forecasts, its P/S is much lower than we'd expect. The reason for this depressed P/S could potentially be found in the risks the market is pricing in. While the possibility of the share price plunging seems unlikely due to the high growth forecasted for the company, the market does appear to have some hesitation.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we've discovered 3 warning signs for Flotek Industries (2 are concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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).

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com