Green Plus Co., Ltd.'s (KOSDAQ:186230) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.1x may not look like an appealing investment opportunity when you consider close to half the companies in the Metals and Mining industry in Korea have P/S ratios below 0.3x. However, the P/S might be high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
View our latest analysis for Green Plus
Recent times have been pleasing for Green Plus as its revenue has risen in spite of the industry's average revenue going into reverse. Perhaps the market is expecting the company's future revenue growth to buck the trend of the industry, contributing to a higher P/S. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
Keen to find out how analysts think Green Plus' future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as high as Green Plus' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry.
If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 11%. Ultimately though, it couldn't turn around the poor performance of the prior period, with revenue shrinking 6.3% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.
Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 60% as estimated by the lone analyst watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to only expand by 16%, which is noticeably less attractive.
With this information, we can see why Green Plus is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.
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.
We've established that Green Plus maintains its high P/S on the strength of its forecasted revenue growth being higher than the the rest of the Metals and Mining industry, as expected. It appears that shareholders are confident in the company's future revenues, which is propping up the P/S. Unless the analysts have really missed the mark, these strong revenue forecasts should keep the share price buoyant.
Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with Green Plus.
It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).
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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.