Newlink Technology Inc. (HKG:9600) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 35% share price drop in the last month. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 47% in that time.
In spite of the heavy fall in price, there still wouldn't be many who think Newlink Technology's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.7x is worth a mention when the median P/S in Hong Kong's IT industry is similar at about 1.2x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/S without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.
Check out our latest analysis for Newlink Technology
How Newlink Technology Has Been Performing
Revenue has risen firmly for Newlink Technology recently, which is pleasing to see. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to only keep up with the broader industry, which has keeping the P/S in line with expectations. 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 Newlink Technology will help you shine a light on its historical performance.Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?
The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like Newlink Technology's is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 14% gain to the company's revenues. This was backed up an excellent period prior to see revenue up by 36% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.
It's interesting to note that the rest of the industry is similarly expected to grow by 9.6% over the next year, which is fairly even with the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.
With this in consideration, it's clear to see why Newlink Technology's P/S matches up closely to its industry peers. Apparently shareholders are comfortable to simply hold on assuming the company will continue keeping a low profile.
What We Can Learn From Newlink Technology's P/S?
With its share price dropping off a cliff, the P/S for Newlink Technology looks to be in line with the rest of the IT industry. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-sales ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.
As we've seen, Newlink Technology's three-year revenue trends seem to be contributing to its P/S, given they look similar to current industry expectations. Currently, with a past revenue trend that aligns closely wit the industry outlook, shareholders are confident the company's future revenue outlook won't contain any major surprises. Given the current circumstances, it seems improbable that the share price will experience any significant movement in either direction in the near future if recent medium-term revenue trends persist.
We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 3 warning signs for Newlink Technology (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you need to be mindful of.
If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Newlink Technology, 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.