The Universe Pharmaceuticals INC (NASDAQ:UPC) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 30%. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 25% over that time.

Even after such a large jump in price, Universe Pharmaceuticals may still look like a strong buying opportunity at present with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.2x, considering almost half of all companies in the Pharmaceuticals industry in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 2.8x and even P/S higher than 15x aren't out of the ordinary. However, the P/S might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

What Does Universe Pharmaceuticals' Recent Performance Look Like?

For example, consider that Universe Pharmaceuticals' financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. Perhaps the market believes the recent revenue performance isn't good enough to keep up the industry, causing the P/S ratio to suffer. However, if this doesn't eventuate then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far underperform the industry for P/S ratios like Universe Pharmaceuticals' to be considered reasonable.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 20%. Regardless, revenue has managed to lift by a handy 5.2% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the earlier period of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a good job of growing revenue over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 14% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

With this information, we can see why Universe Pharmaceuticals is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the wider industry.

What Does Universe Pharmaceuticals' P/S Mean For Investors?

Universe Pharmaceuticals' recent share price jump still sees fails to bring its P/S alongside the industry median. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Universe Pharmaceuticals revealed its three-year revenue trends are contributing to its low P/S, given they look worse than current industry expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price experience a reversal of fortunes anytime soon.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Universe Pharmaceuticals, and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Universe Pharmaceuticals, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.