Subdued Growth No Barrier To Shanghai Rychen Technologies Co., Ltd. (SZSE:301273) With Shares Advancing 45%

Those holding Shanghai Rychen Technologies Co., Ltd. (SZSE:301273) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 45% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Still, the 30-day jump doesn't change the fact that longer term shareholders have seen their stock decimated by the 59% share price drop in the last twelve months.

After such a large jump in price, when almost half of the companies in China's Machinery industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 2.8x, you may consider Shanghai Rychen Technologies as a stock probably not worth researching with its 3.8x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/S.

View our latest analysis for Shanghai Rychen Technologies

How Has Shanghai Rychen Technologies Performed Recently?

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Shanghai Rychen Technologies over the last year, which is not ideal at all. Perhaps the market believes the company can do enough to outperform the rest of the industry in the near future, which is keeping the P/S ratio high. If not, then existing shareholders may be quite nervous about the viability of the share price.

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 Shanghai Rychen Technologies' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Shanghai Rychen Technologies?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should outperform the industry for P/S ratios like Shanghai Rychen Technologies' 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 26%. That put a dampener on the good run it was having over the longer-term as its three-year revenue growth is still a noteworthy 13% in total. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a good job of growing revenue over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 27% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that Shanghai Rychen Technologies' P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Final Word

The large bounce in Shanghai Rychen Technologies' shares has lifted the company's P/S handsomely. Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

The fact that Shanghai Rychen Technologies currently trades on a higher P/S relative to the industry is an oddity, since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider industry forecast. When we observe slower-than-industry revenue growth alongside a high P/S ratio, we assume there to be a significant risk of the share price decreasing, which would result in a lower P/S ratio. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 4 warning signs for Shanghai Rychen Technologies (2 don't sit too well with us!) that you need to be mindful of.

If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.