Revenues Not Telling The Story For Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002547) After Shares Rise 27%

Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002547) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 27% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 28% in the last twelve months.

Even after such a large jump in price, there still wouldn't be many who think Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.5x is worth a mention when the median P/S in China's Metals and Mining industry is similar at about 1.1x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

View our latest analysis for Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical

What Does Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical's Recent Performance Look Like?

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical over the last year, which is not ideal at all. Perhaps investors believe the recent revenue performance is enough to keep in line with the industry, which is keeping the P/S from dropping off. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

Although there are no analyst estimates available for Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical's is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 12%. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 51% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Weighing that medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 13% shows it's an unpleasant look.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical's P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. 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.

What We Can Learn From Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical's P/S?

Its shares have lifted substantially and now Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical's P/S is back within range of the industry median. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

We find it unexpected that Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical trades at a P/S ratio that is comparable to the rest of the industry, despite experiencing declining revenues during the medium-term, while the industry as a whole is expected 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.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we've discovered 2 warning signs for Suzhou Chunxing Precision Mechanical (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.