Some Snipp Interactive Inc. (CVE:SPN) Shareholders Look For Exit As Shares Take 29% Pounding

Snipp Interactive Inc. (CVE:SPN) shareholders won't be pleased to see that the share price has had a very rough month, dropping 29% and undoing the prior period's positive performance. Instead of being rewarded, shareholders who have already held through the last twelve months are now sitting on a 43% share price drop.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, it's still not a stretch to say that Snipp Interactive's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.6x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the Media industry in Canada, where the median P/S ratio is around 0.5x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

Check out our latest analysis for Snipp Interactive

What Does Snipp Interactive's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Recent times have been advantageous for Snipp Interactive as its revenues have been rising faster than most other companies. Perhaps the market is expecting this level of performance to taper off, keeping the P/S from soaring. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

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

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the industry for P/S ratios like Snipp Interactive's to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 5.9%. This was backed up an excellent period prior to see revenue up by 222% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have definitely welcomed those medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the one analyst covering the company suggest revenue growth is heading into negative territory, declining 13% over the next year. That's not great when the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 5.2%.

In light of this, it's somewhat alarming that Snipp Interactive's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects, but the analyst cohort is not so confident this will happen. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as these declining revenues are likely to weigh on the share price eventually.

What We Can Learn From Snipp Interactive's P/S?

Snipp Interactive's plummeting stock price has brought its P/S back to a similar region as the rest of the industry. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

It appears that Snipp Interactive currently trades on a higher than expected P/S for a company whose revenues are forecast to decline. With this in mind, we don't feel the current P/S is justified as declining revenues are unlikely to support a more positive sentiment for long. If the declining revenues were to materialize in the form of a declining share price, shareholders will be feeling the pinch.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - Snipp Interactive has 2 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).

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.