Despite an already strong run, Dogness (International) Corporation (NASDAQ:DOGZ) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 42% in the last thirty days. The last 30 days were the cherry on top of the stock's 378% gain in the last year, which is nothing short of spectacular.

After such a large jump in price, given around half the companies in the United States' Luxury industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.8x, you may consider Dogness (International) as a stock to avoid entirely with its 31.9x 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 so lofty.

How Dogness (International) Has Been Performing

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Dogness (International) over the last year, which is not ideal at all. One possibility is that the P/S is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be quite nervous about the viability of the share price.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/S?

Dogness (International)'s P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 16%. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 39% overall. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 3.5% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

In light of this, it's alarming that Dogness (International)'s P/S sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

What Does Dogness (International)'s P/S Mean For Investors?

The strong share price surge has lead to Dogness (International)'s P/S soaring as well. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

We've established that Dogness (International) currently trades on a much higher than expected P/S since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term. Right now we aren't comfortable with the high P/S as this revenue performance is highly unlikely to support such positive sentiment for long. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

You need to take note of risks, for example - Dogness (International) has 3 warning signs (and 2 which are a bit concerning) we think you should know about.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.