It's not a stretch to say that Shenzhen Baoming Technology Co.,Ltd.'s (SZSE:002992) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 4.7x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" for companies in the Semiconductor industry in China, where the median P/S ratio is around 4.6x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.
How Shenzhen Baoming TechnologyLtd Has Been Performing
Recent times have been quite advantageous for Shenzhen Baoming TechnologyLtd as its revenue has been rising very briskly. The P/S is probably moderate because investors think this strong revenue growth might not be enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.
Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Shenzhen Baoming TechnologyLtd will help you shine a light on its historical performance.
Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For Shenzhen Baoming TechnologyLtd?
Shenzhen Baoming TechnologyLtd's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.
If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 57%. The latest three year period has also seen a 17% overall rise in revenue, aided extensively by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of revenue growth.
Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 36% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.
With this information, we find it interesting that Shenzhen Baoming TechnologyLtd is trading at a fairly similar P/S compared to the industry. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.
The Key Takeaway
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.
We've established that Shenzhen Baoming TechnologyLtd's average P/S is a bit surprising since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider industry forecast. When we see weak revenue with slower than industry growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, bringing the P/S back in line with expectations. Unless there is a significant improvement in the company's medium-term performance, it will be difficult to prevent the P/S ratio from declining to a more reasonable level.
It is also worth noting that we have found 3 warning signs for Shenzhen Baoming TechnologyLtd (2 are a bit concerning!) that you need to take into consideration.
If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.
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