TI Cloud Inc. (HKG:2167) shares have retraced a considerable 25% in the last month, reversing a fair amount of their solid recent performance. Of course, over the longer-term many would still wish they owned shares as the stock's price has soared 102% in the last twelve months.
Even after such a large drop in price, TI Cloud's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.4x might still make it look like a buy right now compared to the Software industry in Hong Kong, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios above 2.3x and even P/S above 5x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.
See our latest analysis for TI Cloud
The revenue growth achieved at TI Cloud over the last year would be more than acceptable for most companies. It might be that many expect the respectable revenue performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/S. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.
Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on TI Cloud will help you shine a light on its historical performance.In order to justify its P/S ratio, TI Cloud 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 15% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 40% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have definitely welcomed those medium-term rates of revenue growth.
Comparing the recent medium-term revenue trends against the industry's one-year growth forecast of 36% shows it's noticeably less attractive.
With this information, we can see why TI Cloud is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the wider industry.
TI Cloud's P/S has taken a dip along with its share price. 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.
As we suspected, our examination of TI Cloud revealed its three-year revenue trends are contributing to its low P/S, given they look worse than current industry expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price experience a reversal of fortunes anytime soon.
Plus, you should also learn about this 1 warning sign we've spotted with TI Cloud.
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.
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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.