There wouldn't be many who think Kunming Chuan Jin Nuo Chemical Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:300505) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.1x is worth a mention when the median P/S for the Food industry in China is similar at about 1.5x. 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.
View our latest analysis for Kunming Chuan Jin Nuo Chemical
Revenue has risen firmly for Kunming Chuan Jin Nuo Chemical recently, which is pleasing to see. One possibility is that the P/S is moderate because investors think this respectable revenue growth might not be enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. Those who are bullish on Kunming Chuan Jin Nuo Chemical will be hoping that this isn't the case, so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.
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 Kunming Chuan Jin Nuo Chemical's earnings, revenue and cash flow.Kunming Chuan Jin Nuo Chemical'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.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 15% gain to the company's top line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 157% overall rise in revenue, aided by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have definitely welcomed those medium-term rates of revenue growth.
This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 16% over the next year, materially lower than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.
With this information, we find it interesting that Kunming Chuan Jin Nuo Chemical 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.
We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.
We've established that Kunming Chuan Jin Nuo Chemical 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.
Having said that, be aware Kunming Chuan Jin Nuo Chemical is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, you should know about.
Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.