Dimmi Life Holdings Limited (HKG:1667) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 32% gain in the last month alone. The annual gain comes to 109% following the latest surge, making investors sit up and take notice.
Since its price has surged higher, when almost half of the companies in Hong Kong's Construction industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.4x, you may consider Dimmi Life Holdings as a stock not worth researching with its 4.9x P/S ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.
View our latest analysis for Dimmi Life Holdings
For instance, Dimmi Life Holdings' receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. Perhaps the market believes the company can do enough to outperform the rest of the industry in the near future, which is keeping the P/S ratio high. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.
Although there are no analyst estimates available for Dimmi Life Holdings, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.Dimmi Life Holdings' P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 20% decrease to the company's top line. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 24% overall. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.
Weighing that medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 20% shows it's an unpleasant look.
With this in mind, we find it worrying that Dimmi Life Holdings' P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. There's a very good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.
Dimmi Life Holdings' P/S has grown nicely over the last month thanks to a handy boost in the share price. 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 examination of Dimmi Life Holdings revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term isn't resulting in a P/S as low as we expected, given the industry is set to grow. When we see revenue heading backwards and underperforming the industry forecasts, we feel the possibility of the share price declining is very real, bringing the P/S back into the realm of reasonability. Unless the the circumstances surrounding the recent medium-term improve, it wouldn't be wrong to expect a a difficult period ahead for the company's shareholders.
It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with Dimmi Life Holdings (at least 2 which make us uncomfortable), and understanding these should be part of your investment process.
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.