Bri-Chem Corp.'s (TSE:BRY) Shares Leap 28% Yet They're Still Not Telling The Full Story

Bri-Chem Corp. (TSE:BRY) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 28% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 33% in the last twelve months.

Although its price has surged higher, there still wouldn't be many who think Bri-Chem's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.1x is worth a mention when the median P/S in Canada's Trade Distributors industry is similar at about 0.6x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

See our latest analysis for Bri-Chem

How Has Bri-Chem Performed Recently?

Revenue has risen firmly for Bri-Chem recently, which is pleasing to see. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to only keep up with the broader industry, which has keeping the P/S in line with expectations. Those who are bullish on Bri-Chem will be hoping that this isn't the case, so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

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 Bri-Chem's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

Bri-Chem's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 9.6% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 86% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have definitely welcomed those medium-term rates of revenue growth.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to decline by 0.4% over the next year, which puts the company's recent medium-term positive growth rates in a good light for now.

In light of this, it's peculiar that Bri-Chem's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders believe the recent performance is at its limits and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Final Word

Bri-Chem appears to be back in favour with a solid price jump bringing its P/S back in line with other companies in the industry Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-sales ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

As mentioned previously, Bri-Chem currently trades on a P/S on par with the wider industry, but this is lower than expected considering its recent three-year revenue growth is beating forecasts for a struggling industry. There could be some unobserved threats to revenue preventing the P/S ratio from outpacing the industry much like its revenue performance. Without the guidance of analysts, perhaps shareholders are feeling uncertain over whether the revenue performance can continue amidst a declining industry outlook. The fact that the company's relative performance has not provided a kick to the share price suggests that some investors are anticipating revenue instability.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 5 warning signs for Bri-Chem (3 make us uncomfortable!) that we have uncovered.

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.