Xponential Fitness, Inc. (NYSE:XPOF) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 70% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 11% in the last twelve months.

Although its price has surged higher, it's still not a stretch to say that Xponential Fitness' price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.5x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the Hospitality industry in the United States, where the median P/S ratio is around 1.2x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/S ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

What Does Xponential Fitness' P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Recent times haven't been great for Xponential Fitness as its revenue has been rising slower than most other companies. It might be that many expect the uninspiring revenue performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/S ratio from falling. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a relatively elevated price for a company with this sort of growth profile.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

Xponential Fitness' P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 23%. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow revenue by 215% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have definitely welcomed those medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 8.4% during the coming year according to the eleven analysts following the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 13% growth, the company is positioned for a weaker revenue result.

With this in mind, we find it intriguing that Xponential Fitness' P/S is closely matching its industry peers. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited growth expectations and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Bottom Line On Xponential Fitness' P/S

Xponential Fitness appears to be back in favour with a solid price jump bringing its P/S back in line with other companies in the industry 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.

When you consider that Xponential Fitness' revenue growth estimates are fairly muted compared to the broader industry, it's easy to see why we consider it unexpected to be trading at its current P/S ratio. At present, we aren't confident in the P/S as the predicted future revenues aren't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. A positive change is needed in order to justify the current price-to-sales ratio.

Having said that, be aware Xponential Fitness is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis, 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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