Yunnan Yunwei Company Limited's (SHSE:600725) 34% Share Price Surge Not Quite Adding Up

Yunnan Yunwei Company Limited (SHSE:600725) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 34% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Taking a wider view, although not as strong as the last month, the full year gain of 10% is also fairly reasonable.

Since its price has surged higher, when almost half of the companies in China's Metals and Mining industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 1.3x, you may consider Yunnan Yunwei as a stock not worth researching with its 4.1x P/S ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

View our latest analysis for Yunnan Yunwei

What Does Yunnan Yunwei's Recent Performance Look Like?

The revenue growth achieved at Yunnan Yunwei over the last year would be more than acceptable for most companies. It might be that many expect the respectable revenue performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

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

How Is Yunnan Yunwei's Revenue Growth Trending?

Yunnan Yunwei's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 11%. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen an unpleasant 46% overall drop in revenue. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 13% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

With this information, we find it concerning that Yunnan Yunwei is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. There's a very 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 Bottom Line On Yunnan Yunwei's P/S

Shares in Yunnan Yunwei have seen a strong upwards swing lately, which has really helped boost its P/S figure. 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.

Our examination of Yunnan Yunwei revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term isn't resulting in a P/S as low as we expected, given the industry is set to grow. When we see revenue heading backwards and underperforming the industry forecasts, we feel the possibility of the share price declining is very real, bringing the P/S back into the realm of reasonability. 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.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider before investing and we've discovered 1 warning sign for Yunnan Yunwei that you should be aware 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.