DraftKings Inc.'s (NASDAQ:DKNG) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 4x may look like a poor investment opportunity when you consider close to half the companies in the Hospitality industry in the United States have P/S ratios below 1.7x. However, the P/S might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

AI is about to change healthcare. These 20 stocks are working on everything from early diagnostics to drug discovery. The best part - they are all under $10bn in marketcap - there is still time to get in early.

See our latest analysis for DraftKings

What Does DraftKings' Recent Performance Look Like?

DraftKings certainly has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue more than most other companies. It seems that many are expecting the strong revenue performance to persist, which has raised the P/S. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

Keen to find out how analysts think DraftKings' future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

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

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

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 23% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 257% 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.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 22% each year over the next three years. With the industry only predicted to deliver 14% per annum, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

In light of this, it's understandable that DraftKings' P/S sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.

What We Can Learn From DraftKings' P/S?

While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.

We've established that DraftKings maintains its high P/S on the strength of its forecasted revenue growth being higher than the the rest of the Hospitality industry, as expected. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/S as they are quite confident future revenues aren't under threat. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

A lot of potential risks can sit within a company's balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for DraftKings with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.

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

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.