Laiqon AG (ETR:LQAG) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 25% after a shaky period beforehand. But the gains over the last month weren't enough to make shareholders whole, as the share price is still down 2.7% in the last twelve months.
Since its price has surged higher, when almost half of the companies in Germany's Capital Markets industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 2.2x, you may consider Laiqon as a stock probably not worth researching with its 3.5x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/S.
View our latest analysis for Laiqon
With revenue growth that's inferior to most other companies of late, Laiqon has been relatively sluggish. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to undergo a reversal of fortunes, which has elevated the P/S ratio. If not, then existing shareholders may be very nervous about the viability of the share price.
Keen to find out how analysts think Laiqon's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.In order to justify its P/S ratio, Laiqon would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the industry.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 2.6% last year. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 81% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.
Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 35% per annum during the coming three years according to the three analysts following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to only expand by 2.2% per annum, which is noticeably less attractive.
With this in mind, it's not hard to understand why Laiqon's P/S is high relative to its industry peers. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.
Laiqon shares have taken a big step in a northerly direction, but its P/S is elevated as a result. Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.
Our look into Laiqon shows that its P/S ratio remains high on the merit of its strong future revenues. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in revenues is quite remote, justifying the elevated P/S ratio. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
It is also worth noting that we have found 1 warning sign for Laiqon that you need to take into consideration.
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.