Sonim Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SONM) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 61% after a shaky period beforehand. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 31% over that time.

Although its price has surged higher, Sonim Technologies may still be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.4x, since almost half of all companies in the Tech industry in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 1.5x and even P/S higher than 7x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

How Has Sonim Technologies Performed Recently?

Recent times have been advantageous for Sonim Technologies as its revenues have been rising faster than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the share price, and thus the P/S ratio. If the company manages to stay the course, then investors should be rewarded with a share price that matches its revenue figures.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

Sonim Technologies' P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 2.7% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 33% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should bring diminished returns, with revenue decreasing 8.9% as estimated by the sole analyst watching the company. Meanwhile, the broader industry is forecast to expand by 6.1%, which paints a poor picture.

With this in consideration, we find it intriguing that Sonim Technologies' 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.

The Bottom Line On Sonim Technologies' P/S

The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift Sonim Technologies' P/S close to the industry median. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Sonim Technologies' analyst forecasts revealed that its outlook for shrinking revenue is contributing to its low P/S. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - Sonim Technologies has 4 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.

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