Beijing Philisense Technology Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:300287) 100% Share Price Surge Not Quite Adding Up

Beijing Philisense Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:300287) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 100% after a shaky period beforehand. The annual gain comes to 173% following the latest surge, making investors sit up and take notice.

Following the firm bounce in price, Beijing Philisense Technology may be sending strong sell signals at present with a price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 20x, when you consider almost half of the companies in the IT industry in China have P/S ratios under 5.5x and even P/S lower than 2x aren't out of the ordinary. However, the P/S might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

See our latest analysis for Beijing Philisense Technology

What Does Beijing Philisense Technology's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

For instance, Beijing Philisense Technology's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. 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 Beijing Philisense Technology's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Beijing Philisense Technology?

Beijing Philisense Technology's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 32%. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 61% in total over the last three years. 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 17% 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 Beijing Philisense Technology's 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 Key Takeaway

Shares in Beijing Philisense Technology have seen a strong upwards swing lately, which has really helped boost its P/S figure. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-sales ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

We've established that Beijing Philisense 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. 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.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 2 warning signs for Beijing Philisense Technology 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.