Beijing Bohui Science & Technology Co., Ltd's (SHSE:688004) 36% Price Boost Is Out Of Tune With Revenues

Beijing Bohui Science & Technology Co., Ltd (SHSE:688004) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 36% 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 36% in the last twelve months.

Following the firm bounce in price, you could be forgiven for thinking Beijing Bohui Science & Technology is a stock not worth researching with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 6.4x, considering almost half the companies in China's Software industry have P/S ratios below 5.2x. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/S.

See our latest analysis for Beijing Bohui Science & Technology

How Beijing Bohui Science & Technology Has Been Performing

Revenue has risen firmly for Beijing Bohui Science & Technology recently, which is pleasing to see. 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. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

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 Beijing Bohui Science & Technology's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as high as Beijing Bohui Science & Technology's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 11%. Still, lamentably revenue has fallen 37% in aggregate from three years ago, which is disappointing. 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 33% shows it's an unpleasant look.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that Beijing Bohui Science & Technology'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 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 Key Takeaway

Beijing Bohui Science & Technology's P/S is on the rise since its shares have risen strongly. 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've established that Beijing Bohui Science & Technology currently trades on a much higher than expected P/S since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term. 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. 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 before investing and we've discovered 2 warning signs for Beijing Bohui Science & Technology that you should be aware of.

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.