iPower Inc. (NASDAQ:IPW) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 40% after a shaky period beforehand. The last month tops off a massive increase of 162% in the last year.

Although its price has surged higher, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about iPower's P/S ratio of 0.7x, since the median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio for the Trade Distributors industry in the United States is also close to 1.1x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

What Does iPower's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

iPower 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. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is moderate because investors think this poor revenue performance will turn around. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a relatively elevated price for a company with this sort of growth profile.

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For iPower?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, iPower would need to produce growth that's similar to 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%. Still, the latest three year period has seen an excellent 59% overall rise in revenue, in spite of its unsatisfying short-term performance. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would definitely welcome the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 7.2% as estimated by the lone analyst watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to only expand by 4.6%, which is noticeably less attractive.

In light of this, it's curious that iPower's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. It may be that most investors aren't convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.

The Final Word

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

We've established that iPower currently trades on a lower than expected P/S since its forecasted revenue growth is higher than the wider industry. There could be some risks that the market is pricing in, which is preventing the P/S ratio from matching the positive outlook. However, if you agree with the analysts' forecasts, you may be able to pick up the stock at an attractive price.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 4 warning signs for iPower (2 are concerning!) that we have uncovered.

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.