There's No Escaping Vibe Growth Corporation's (CSE:VIBE) Muted Revenues Despite A 50% Share Price Rise

Vibe Growth Corporation (CSE:VIBE) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 50% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Still, the 30-day jump doesn't change the fact that longer term shareholders have seen their stock decimated by the 65% share price drop in the last twelve months.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, Vibe Growth 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 Healthcare industry in Canada have P/S ratios greater than 0.8x and even P/S higher than 3x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

See our latest analysis for Vibe Growth

How Has Vibe Growth Performed Recently?

For instance, Vibe Growth's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the disappointing revenue performance to continue or accelerate, which has repressed the P/S. Those who are bullish on Vibe Growth will be hoping that this isn't the case so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Vibe Growth will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/S?

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

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 36%. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 30% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 14% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

With this information, we are not surprised that Vibe Growth is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. However, we think shrinking revenues are unlikely to lead to a stable P/S over the longer term, which could set up shareholders for future disappointment. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.

What Does Vibe Growth's P/S Mean For Investors?

The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift Vibe Growth's P/S close to the industry median. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Vibe Growth revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term is contributing to its low P/S, given the industry is set to grow. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. Given the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that the share price will experience any significant movement in either direction in the near future if recent medium-term revenue trends persist.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - Vibe Growth has 4 warning signs we think you should be aware 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).

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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.