Despite an already strong run, Cherish Sunshine International Limited (HKG:1094) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 36% in the last thirty days. Unfortunately, despite the strong performance over the last month, the full year gain of 3.9% isn't as attractive.
In spite of the firm bounce in price, there still wouldn't be many who think Cherish Sunshine International's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.6x is worth a mention when the median P/S in Hong Kong's IT industry is similar at about 1.1x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.
Check out our latest analysis for Cherish Sunshine International
What Does Cherish Sunshine International's Recent Performance Look Like?
Recent times have been quite advantageous for Cherish Sunshine International 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.
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 Cherish Sunshine International's earnings, revenue and cash flow.Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For Cherish Sunshine International?
Cherish Sunshine International'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.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 188% last year. Spectacularly, three year revenue growth has ballooned by several orders of magnitude, thanks in part to the last 12 months of revenue growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have been over the moon with those medium-term rates of revenue growth.
Comparing that to the industry, which is only predicted to deliver 15% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is stronger based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.
With this information, we find it interesting that Cherish Sunshine International is trading at a fairly similar P/S compared to the industry. Apparently some shareholders believe the recent performance is at its limits and have been accepting lower selling prices.
The Final Word
Its shares have lifted substantially and now Cherish Sunshine International's P/S is back within range of the industry median. Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.
We've established that Cherish Sunshine International currently trades on a lower than expected P/S since its recent three-year growth is higher than the wider industry forecast. There could be some unobserved threats to revenue preventing the P/S ratio from matching this positive performance. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued if recent medium-term revenue trends continue, but investors seem to think future revenue could see some volatility.
You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 5 warning signs for Cherish Sunshine International you should be aware of, and 1 of them doesn't sit too well with us.
If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Cherish Sunshine International, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.
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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.