It's not a stretch to say that StoneCo Ltd.'s (NASDAQ:STNE) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 2.2x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" for companies in the Diversified Financial industry in the United States, where the median P/S ratio is around 2.4x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

How Has StoneCo Performed Recently?

With revenue growth that's superior to most other companies of late, StoneCo has been doing relatively well. Perhaps the market is expecting this level of performance to taper off, keeping the P/S from soaring. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

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

StoneCo's 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 26%. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 259% overall rise in revenue, aided by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 12% per year during the coming three years according to the analysts following the company. With the industry only predicted to deliver 6.2% each year, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

In light of this, it's curious that StoneCo'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 Key Takeaway

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

Despite enticing revenue growth figures that outpace the industry, StoneCo's P/S isn't quite what we'd expect. Perhaps uncertainty in the revenue forecasts are what's keeping the P/S ratio consistent with the rest of the industry. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued, but investors seem to think future revenue could see some volatility.

The company's balance sheet is another key area for risk analysis. Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis for StoneCo with six simple checks on some of these key factors.

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.