Suli Co., Ltd. (SHSE:603585) Surges 28% Yet Its Low P/S Is No Reason For Excitement

Despite an already strong run, Suli Co., Ltd. (SHSE:603585) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 28% in the last thirty days. While recent buyers may be laughing, long-term holders might not be as pleased since the recent gain only brings the stock back to where it started a year ago.

Although its price has surged higher, Suli's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.3x might still make it look like a buy right now compared to the Chemicals industry in China, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios above 2.3x 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 Suli

What Does Suli's Recent Performance Look Like?

For example, consider that Suli's financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. Perhaps the market believes the recent revenue performance isn't good enough to keep up the industry, causing the P/S ratio to suffer. Those who are bullish on Suli will be hoping that this isn't the case so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

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

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

Suli's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 3.4% decrease to the company's top line. At least revenue has managed not to go completely backwards from three years ago in aggregate, thanks to the earlier period of growth. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing revenue over that time.

This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 25% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this in consideration, it's easy to understand why Suli's P/S falls short of the mark set by its industry peers. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the wider industry.

The Bottom Line On Suli's P/S

Despite Suli's share price climbing recently, its P/S still lags most other companies. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Suli revealed its three-year revenue trends are contributing to its low P/S, given they look worse than current industry expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price experience a reversal of fortunes anytime soon.

It is also worth noting that we have found 2 warning signs for Suli (1 is a bit concerning!) that you need to take into consideration.

If you're unsure about the strength of Suli's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.