Doppler S.A.'s (ATH:DOPPLER) Share Price Boosted 30% But Its Business Prospects Need A Lift Too

Explore Doppler's Fair Values from the Community and select yours

Doppler S.A. (ATH:DOPPLER) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 30% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 21% over that time.

Although its price has surged higher, given about half the companies operating in Greece's Machinery industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1x, you may still consider Doppler as an attractive investment with its 0.4x P/S ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

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See our latest analysis for Doppler

What Does Doppler's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

For instance, Doppler's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the disappointing revenue performance to continue or accelerate, which has repressed the P/S. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

Although there are no analyst estimates available for Doppler, 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 Low P/S?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as low as Doppler's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry.

Taking a look back first, the company's revenue growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 6.4%. This has soured the latest three-year period, which nevertheless managed to deliver a decent 5.9% 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.

This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 4.0% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this in consideration, it's easy to understand why Doppler's P/S falls short of the mark set by its industry peers. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

What Does Doppler's P/S Mean For Investors?

Doppler's stock price has surged recently, but its but its P/S still remains modest. Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

In line with expectations, Doppler maintains its low P/S on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider industry forecast. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price experience a reversal of fortunes anytime soon.

It is also worth noting that we have found 3 warning signs for Doppler that you need to take into consideration.

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.