There's No Escaping Zicom Group Limited's (ASX:ZGL) Muted Revenues Despite A 46% Share Price Rise

Zicom Group Limited (ASX:ZGL) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 46% gain in the last month alone. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 35% in the last year.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, Zicom Group may still be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.2x, since almost half of all companies in the Machinery industry in Australia have P/S ratios greater than 1.4x and even P/S higher than 38x are not unusual. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit.

See our latest analysis for Zicom Group

How Has Zicom Group Performed Recently?

Zicom Group certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing its revenue at a really rapid pace. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/S ratio. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

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 Zicom Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Any Revenue Growth Forecasted For Zicom Group?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the industry for P/S ratios like Zicom Group's to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 33%. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 81% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. 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 171% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

With this information, we can see why Zicom Group is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

What We Can Learn From Zicom Group's P/S?

Zicom Group's stock price has surged recently, but its but its P/S still remains modest. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Zicom Group revealed its three-year revenue trends are contributing to its low P/S, given they look worse than current industry expectations. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 3 warning signs for Zicom Group (2 make us uncomfortable!) that you need to be mindful of.

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).

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.