Huntsman Corporation's (NYSE:HUN) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.7x may look like a pretty appealing investment opportunity when you consider close to half the companies in the Chemicals industry in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 1.6x. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

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

With revenue that's retreating more than the industry's average of late, Huntsman has been very sluggish. The P/S ratio is probably low because investors think this poor revenue performance isn't going to improve at all. You'd much rather the company improve its revenue performance if you still believe in the business. Or at the very least, you'd be hoping the revenue slide doesn't get any worse if your plan is to pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

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

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Huntsman would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 20%. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 4.6% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 6.2% during the coming year according to the analysts following the company. That's shaping up to be similar to the 7.4% growth forecast for the broader industry.

With this in consideration, we find it intriguing that Huntsman's P/S is lagging behind its industry peers. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.

The Key Takeaway

Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

Our examination of Huntsman's revealed that its P/S remains low despite analyst forecasts of revenue growth matching the wider industry. Despite average revenue growth estimates, there could be some unobserved threats keeping the P/S low. It appears some are indeed anticipating revenue instability, because these conditions should normally provide more support to the share price.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Huntsman you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of Huntsman's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.