India Power Corporation Limited's (NSE:DPSCLTD) 26% Share Price Surge Not Quite Adding Up

India Power Corporation Limited (NSE:DPSCLTD) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 26% after a shaky period beforehand. The last 30 days bring the annual gain to a very sharp 56%.

Even after such a large jump in price, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about India Power's P/S ratio of 3.3x, since the median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio for the Electric Utilities industry in India is about the same. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/S without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

See our latest analysis for India Power

What Does India Power's Recent Performance Look Like?

The recent revenue growth at India Power would have to be considered satisfactory if not spectacular. One possibility is that the P/S is moderate because investors think this good revenue growth might only be parallel to the broader industry in the near future. If not, then at least existing shareholders probably aren't too pessimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Although there are no analyst estimates available for India Power, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Is India Power's Revenue Growth Trending?

India Power'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.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 4.3% gain to the company's revenues. The latest three year period has also seen a 24% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been respectable for the company.

Comparing the recent medium-term revenue trends against the industry's one-year growth forecast of 13% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

With this in mind, we find it intriguing that India Power's P/S is comparable to that of its industry peers. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Key Takeaway

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

Our examination of India Power 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. 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. Unless there is a significant improvement in the company's medium-term performance, it will be difficult to prevent the P/S ratio from declining to a more reasonable level.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for India Power that 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.

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