Shenzhen Longli Technology Co.,Ltd's (SZSE:300752) Low P/S No Reason For Excitement

Shenzhen Longli Technology Co.,Ltd's (SZSE:300752) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 2.5x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the Semiconductor industry in China, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios above 4.6x and even P/S above 9x are quite common. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

Check out our latest analysis for Shenzhen Longli TechnologyLtd

What Does Shenzhen Longli TechnologyLtd's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Recent times have been quite advantageous for Shenzhen Longli TechnologyLtd as its revenue has been rising very briskly. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/S ratio. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction 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 Shenzhen Longli TechnologyLtd's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the industry for P/S ratios like Shenzhen Longli TechnologyLtd's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 32% last year. Despite this strong recent growth, it's still struggling to catch up as its three-year revenue frustratingly shrank by 35% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 36% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

In light of this, it's understandable that Shenzhen Longli TechnologyLtd's P/S would sit below the majority of other companies. However, we think shrinking revenues are unlikely to lead to a stable P/S over the longer term, which could set up shareholders for future disappointment. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.

The Key Takeaway

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.

Our examination of Shenzhen Longli TechnologyLtd confirms that the company's shrinking revenue over the past medium-term is a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, given the industry is projected to grow. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. Given the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that the share price will experience any significant movement in either direction in the near future if recent medium-term revenue trends persist.

Having said that, be aware Shenzhen Longli TechnologyLtd is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, you should know about.

If strong companies turning a profit tickle your fancy, then you'll want to check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.