Optimistic Investors Push New Delhi Television Limited (NSE:NDTV) Shares Up 34% But Growth Is Lacking

New Delhi Television Limited (NSE:NDTV) shareholders have had their patience rewarded with a 34% share price jump in the last month. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 26% in the last twelve months.

Even after such a large jump in price, it's still not a stretch to say that New Delhi Television's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 2.3x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the Media industry in India, where the median P/S ratio is around 1.8x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

Our free stock report includes 2 warning signs investors should be aware of before investing in New Delhi Television. Read for free now.

See our latest analysis for New Delhi Television

How New Delhi Television Has Been Performing

New Delhi Television has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue at a solid pace. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to only keep up with the broader industry, which has keeping the P/S in line with expectations. 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 not quite in favour.

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 New Delhi Television's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

New Delhi Television'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.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 26%. Revenue has also lifted 17% in aggregate from three years ago, mostly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 12% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's curious that New Delhi Television's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. 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.

What We Can Learn From New Delhi Television's P/S?

New Delhi Television's stock has a lot of momentum behind it lately, which has brought its P/S level with the rest of the industry. 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.

Our examination of New Delhi Television revealed its poor three-year revenue trends aren't resulting in a lower P/S as per our expectations, given they look worse than current industry outlook. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/S as this revenue performance isn't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, it's hard to accept the current share price as fair value.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 2 warning signs for New Delhi Television you should be aware of.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on New Delhi Television, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.