W&T Offshore, Inc.'s (NYSE:WTI) Prospects Need A Boost To Lift Shares

W&T Offshore, Inc.'s (NYSE:WTI) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.3x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the Oil and Gas industry in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios above 1.5x and even P/S above 4x 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.

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See our latest analysis for W&T Offshore

How Has W&T Offshore Performed Recently?

W&T Offshore could be doing better as its revenue has been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive revenue growth. Perhaps the P/S remains low as investors think the prospects of strong revenue growth aren't on the horizon. So while you could say the stock is cheap, investors will be looking for improvement before they see it as good value.

Keen to find out how analysts think W&T Offshore's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start .

Is There Any Revenue Growth Forecasted For W&T Offshore?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, W&T Offshore would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the industry.

Taking a look back first, the company's revenue growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 1.4%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk revenue by 5.9% in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 6.7% during the coming year according to the lone analyst following the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 12% growth, the company is positioned for a weaker revenue result.

In light of this, it's understandable that W&T Offshore's P/S sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on while the company is potentially eyeing a less prosperous future.

What We Can Learn From W&T Offshore's P/S?

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.

As we suspected, our examination of W&T Offshore's analyst forecasts revealed that its inferior revenue outlook is contributing to its low P/S. Shareholders' pessimism on the revenue prospects for the company seems to be the main contributor to the depressed P/S. The company will need a change of fortune to justify the P/S rising higher in the future.

Having said that, be aware W&T Offshore is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 3 of those shouldn't be ignored.

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.