Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002786) Stock Rockets 52% As Investors Are Less Pessimistic Than Expected

Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002786) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 52% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 61% in the last year.

Although its price has surged higher, it's still not a stretch to say that Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 2.3x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the Machinery industry in China, where the median P/S ratio is around 2.5x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/S ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

View our latest analysis for Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology

How Has Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology Performed Recently?

For instance, Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing revenue performance behind them over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from falling. If you like the company, you'd at least be hoping this is the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

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 Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the industry for P/S ratios like Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology'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 5.7%. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 12% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 23% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

In light of this, it's somewhat alarming that Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

The Key Takeaway

Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology appears to be back in favour with a solid price jump bringing its P/S back in line with other companies in the industry We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

Our look at Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology revealed its shrinking revenues over the medium-term haven't impacted the P/S as much as we anticipated, given the industry is set to grow. When we see revenue heading backwards in the context of growing industry forecasts, it'd make sense to expect a possible share price decline on the horizon, sending the moderate P/S lower. Unless the the circumstances surrounding the recent medium-term improve, it wouldn't be wrong to expect a a difficult period ahead for the company's shareholders.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Shenzhen Silver Basis Technology (1 shouldn't be ignored) you should be aware of.

If strong companies turning a profit tickle your fancy, then you'll want to check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.