Shenzhen CDL Precision Technology Co., Ltd (SZSE:300686) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 28% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 25% in the last twelve months.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, Shenzhen CDL Precision Technology may still be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.5x, since almost half of all companies in the Electronic industry in China have P/S ratios greater than 3.4x and even P/S higher than 6x 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 Shenzhen CDL Precision Technology Has Been Performing

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Shenzhen CDL Precision Technology over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the disappointing revenue performance to continue or accelerate, which has repressed the P/S. However, if this doesn't eventuate then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

How Is Shenzhen CDL Precision Technology's Revenue Growth Trending?

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

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 8.9% decrease to the company's top line. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk revenue by 45% in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 25% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

With this information, we are not surprised that Shenzhen CDL Precision Technology is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. However, we think shrinking revenues are unlikely to lead to a stable P/S over the longer term, which could set up shareholders for future disappointment. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as recent revenue trends are already weighing down the shares.

The Key Takeaway

The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift Shenzhen CDL Precision Technology's 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 Shenzhen CDL Precision Technology revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term is contributing to its low P/S, given the industry is set to grow. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Shenzhen CDL Precision Technology (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) you should be aware of.

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

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.

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