Weihai Guangtai Airport Equipment Co.,Ltd (SZSE:002111) Stock Catapults 33% Though Its Price And Business Still Lag The Industry
Weihai Guangtai Airport Equipment Co.,Ltd (SZSE:002111) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 33% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 28% over that time.
In spite of the firm bounce in price, Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.8x might still make it look like a buy right now compared to the Machinery industry in China, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios above 2.7x and even P/S above 5x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.
Check out our latest analysis for Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd
How Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd Has Been Performing
For instance, Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. Perhaps the market believes the recent revenue performance isn't good enough to keep up the industry, causing the P/S ratio to suffer. However, if this doesn't eventuate then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.
Although there are no analyst estimates available for Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.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 Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd'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 2.9%. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 7.9% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.
Weighing that medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 27% shows it's an unpleasant look.
With this in mind, we understand why Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd's P/S is lower than most of its industry peers. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.
The Key Takeaway
The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd's P/S close to the industry median. 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.
As we suspected, our examination of Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term is contributing to its low P/S, given the industry is set to grow. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises either. 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.
It is also worth noting that we have found 2 warning signs for Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd (1 is concerning!) that you need to take into consideration.
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.
About SZSE:002111
Weihai Guangtai Airport EquipmentLtd
Engages in manufacture and sale of ground support equipment and fire-fighting equipment in China and internationally.
High growth potential with adequate balance sheet.