ImExHS Limited's (ASX:IME) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1x might make it look like a strong buy right now compared to the Healthcare Services industry in Australia, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios above 5.8x and even P/S above 17x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly reduced P/S.
View our latest analysis for ImExHS
How ImExHS Has Been Performing
ImExHS could be doing better as it's been growing revenue less than most other companies lately. Perhaps the market is expecting the current trend of poor revenue growth to continue, which has kept the P/S suppressed. If you still like the company, you'd be hoping revenue doesn't get any worse and that you could pick up some stock while it's out of favour.
Keen to find out how analysts think ImExHS' future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as depressed as ImExHS' is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry decidedly.
If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 15%. 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.
Shifting to the future, estimates from the lone analyst covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 22% per year over the next three years. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 24% per annum, which is not materially different.
In light of this, it's peculiar that ImExHS' P/S sits below the majority of other companies. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can achieve future growth expectations.
The Key Takeaway
Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.
Our examination of ImExHS' revealed that its P/S remains low despite analyst forecasts of revenue growth matching the wider industry. Despite average revenue growth estimates, there could be some unobserved threats keeping the P/S low. Perhaps investors are concerned that the company could underperform against the forecasts over the near term.
We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 2 warning signs for ImExHS that you need to be mindful of.
If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on ImExHS, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.
New: AI Stock Screener & Alerts
Our new AI Stock Screener scans the market every day to uncover opportunities.
• Dividend Powerhouses (3%+ Yield)
• Undervalued Small Caps with Insider Buying
• High growth Tech and AI Companies
Or build your own from over 50 metrics.
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.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com
About ASX:IME
ImExHS
Offers cloud-based medical imaging solutions in Australia and internationally.
Exceptional growth potential with adequate balance sheet.