To the annoyance of some shareholders, Vivid Seats Inc. (NASDAQ:SEAT) shares are down a considerable 25% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 91% share price decline.
Following the heavy fall in price, Vivid Seats' price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.1x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the Entertainment industry in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios above 1.3x and even P/S above 6x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.
Check out our latest analysis for Vivid Seats
Vivid Seats could be doing better as its revenue has been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive revenue growth. It seems that many are expecting the poor revenue performance to persist, which has repressed the P/S ratio. If you still like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.
Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on Vivid Seats will help you uncover what's on the horizon.There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the industry for P/S ratios like Vivid Seats' 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 17%. Regardless, revenue has managed to lift by a handy 7.4% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the earlier period of growth. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would be roughly satisfied with the medium-term rates of revenue growth.
Shifting to the future, estimates from the eleven analysts covering the company suggest revenue growth is heading into negative territory, declining 3.4% each year over the next three years. Meanwhile, the broader industry is forecast to expand by 13% per year, which paints a poor picture.
With this in consideration, we find it intriguing that Vivid Seats' P/S is closely matching its industry peers. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.
Vivid Seats' recently weak share price has pulled its P/S back below other Entertainment companies. 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.
With revenue forecasts that are inferior to the rest of the industry, it's no surprise that Vivid Seats' P/S is on the lower end of the spectrum. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Vivid Seats (of which 1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) 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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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.