Those holding Capinfo Company Limited (HKG:1075) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 27% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 37% in the last twelve months.
Although its price has surged higher, it would still be understandable if you think Capinfo is a stock with good investment prospects with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 0.4x, considering almost half the companies in Hong Kong's IT industry have P/S ratios above 1.1x. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
See our latest analysis for Capinfo
What Does Capinfo's P/S Mean For Shareholders?
Capinfo has been doing a decent job lately as it's been growing revenue at a reasonable pace. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is low because investors think this good revenue growth might actually underperform the broader industry in the near future. Those who are bullish on Capinfo will be hoping that this isn't the case, so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.
Although there are no analyst estimates available for Capinfo, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.Is There Any Revenue Growth Forecasted For Capinfo?
In order to justify its P/S ratio, Capinfo would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the industry.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 3.6% last year. Although, the latest three year period in total hasn't been as good as it didn't manage to provide any growth at all. Therefore, it's fair to say that revenue growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.
Comparing the recent medium-term revenue trends against the industry's one-year growth forecast of 15% shows it's noticeably less attractive.
With this in consideration, it's easy to understand why Capinfo's P/S falls short of the mark set by its industry peers. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.
The Final Word
Capinfo's stock price has surged recently, but its but its P/S still remains modest. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.
In line with expectations, Capinfo maintains its low P/S on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider industry forecast. 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.
We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 2 warning signs for Capinfo (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you need to be mindful of.
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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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.