The Vohringer Home Technology Co.,Ltd. (SHSE:603226) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 33%. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 23% over that time.
After such a large jump in price, when almost half of the companies in China's Building industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 1.7x, you may consider Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd as a stock not worth researching with its 4.5x P/S ratio. However, the P/S might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
How Has Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd Performed Recently?
For instance, Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. One possibility is that the P/S is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.
We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd's earnings, revenue and cash flow.Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as steep as Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry decidedly.
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 35%. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 53% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.
Weighing that medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 21% shows it's an unpleasant look.
With this in mind, we find it worrying that Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd's P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a very good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.
The Bottom Line On Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd's P/S
The strong share price surge has lead to Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd's P/S soaring as well. 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.
Our examination of Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term isn't resulting in a P/S as low as we expected, given the industry is set to grow. When we see revenue heading backwards and underperforming the industry forecasts, we feel the possibility of the share price declining is very real, bringing the P/S back into the realm of reasonability. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, investors will have a hard time accepting the share price as fair value.
Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Vohringer Home TechnologyLtd that you should be aware of.
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.