Getting In Cheap On Schulte-Schlagbaum AG (DUSE:SSS) Is Unlikely

With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 0.4x in the Electronic industry in Germany, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Schulte-Schlagbaum AG's (DUSE:SSS) P/S ratio of 0.2x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/S ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

View our latest analysis for Schulte-Schlagbaum

How Schulte-Schlagbaum Has Been Performing

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Schulte-Schlagbaum over the last year, which is not ideal at all. One possibility is that the P/S is moderate because investors think the company might still do enough to be in line with the broader industry in the near future. If you like the company, you'd at least be hoping this is the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Schulte-Schlagbaum will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

Schulte-Schlagbaum's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 9.0%. This has soured the latest three-year period, which nevertheless managed to deliver a decent 9.9% overall rise in revenue. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a good job of growing revenue over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

Comparing the recent medium-term revenue trends against the industry's one-year growth forecast of 12% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

With this in mind, we find it intriguing that Schulte-Schlagbaum's P/S is comparable to that of its industry peers. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Final Word

We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

We've established that Schulte-Schlagbaum's average P/S is a bit surprising since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider industry forecast. When we see weak revenue with slower than industry growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, bringing the P/S back in line with expectations. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, the probability of a share price decline will become quite substantial, placing shareholders at risk.

Having said that, be aware Schulte-Schlagbaum is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 2 of those can't be ignored.

If you're unsure about the strength of Schulte-Schlagbaum's 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.