North Chemical Industries Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:002246) Business Is Trailing The Industry But Its Shares Aren't

When you see that almost half of the companies in the Chemicals industry in China have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 2.4x, North Chemical Industries Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002246) looks to be giving off some sell signals with its 3.1x 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 as high as it is.

See our latest analysis for North Chemical Industries

What Does North Chemical Industries' P/S Mean For Shareholders?

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at North Chemical Industries 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. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

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 North Chemical Industries' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Is North Chemical Industries' Revenue Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as high as North Chemical Industries' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry.

Taking a look back first, the company's revenue growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 8.8%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk revenue by 26% in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 25% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

In light of this, it's alarming that North Chemical Industries' P/S sits above 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 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 North Chemical Industries' P/S

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

Our examination of North Chemical Industries 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. With a revenue decline on investors' minds, the likelihood of a souring sentiment is quite high which could send the P/S back in line with what we'd expect. 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.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for North Chemical Industries that you should be aware of.

If you're unsure about the strength of North Chemical Industries' 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.