With a price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 22.1x Glaukos Corporation (NYSE:GKOS) may be sending very bearish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all the Medical Equipment companies in the United States have P/S ratios under 3.4x and even P/S lower than 1.2x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/S.

What Does Glaukos' Recent Performance Look Like?

Recent times have been advantageous for Glaukos as its revenues have been rising faster than most other companies. The P/S is probably high because investors think this strong revenue performance will continue. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Glaukos?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as steep as Glaukos' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry decidedly.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 15%. Revenue has also lifted 20% in aggregate from three years ago, mostly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been respectable for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 24% per annum as estimated by the analysts watching the company. With the industry only predicted to deliver 9.3% per year, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

With this information, we can see why Glaukos is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

What We Can Learn From Glaukos' P/S?

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.

As we suspected, our examination of Glaukos' analyst forecasts revealed that its superior revenue outlook is contributing to its high P/S. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in revenues is quite remote, justifying the elevated P/S ratio. Unless these conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Glaukos 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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