Gilat Telecom Global Ltd's (TLV:GLTL) Shares Bounce 35% But Its Business Still Trails The Industry

Gilat Telecom Global Ltd (TLV:GLTL) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 35% gain in the last month alone. The annual gain comes to 240% following the latest surge, making investors sit up and take notice.

Although its price has surged higher, Gilat Telecom Global's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.3x might still make it look like a buy right now compared to the Telecom industry in Israel, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios above 1.8x and even P/S above 4x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

Check out our latest analysis for Gilat Telecom Global

How Has Gilat Telecom Global Performed Recently?

Revenue has risen firmly for Gilat Telecom Global recently, which is pleasing to see. Perhaps the market is expecting this acceptable revenue performance to take a dive, which has kept the P/S suppressed. Those who are bullish on Gilat Telecom Global will be hoping that this isn't the case, so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

Although there are no analyst estimates available for Gilat Telecom Global, 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?

Gilat Telecom Global's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 28% last year. Although, its longer-term performance hasn't been as strong with three-year revenue growth being relatively non-existent overall. Therefore, it's fair to say that revenue growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 4.6% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

With this information, we can see why Gilat Telecom Global is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. 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 We Can Learn From Gilat Telecom Global's P/S?

The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift Gilat Telecom Global's P/S close to the industry median. While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.

Our examination of Gilat Telecom Global confirms that the company's revenue trends over the past three-year years are a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, as we suspected, given they fall short of current industry expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 3 warning signs with Gilat Telecom Global (at least 1 which is significant), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.