There wouldn't be many who think Demae-Can Co.,Ltd's (TSE:2484) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.6x is worth a mention when the median P/S for the Hospitality industry in Japan is similar at about 1x. 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 Demae-CanLtd
What Does Demae-CanLtd's Recent Performance Look Like?
Recent times haven't been great for Demae-CanLtd as its revenue has been rising slower than most other companies. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to lift, which has kept the P/S from declining. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a relatively elevated price for a company with this sort of growth profile.
Keen to find out how analysts think Demae-CanLtd's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?
The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like Demae-CanLtd's is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 3.2% last year. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 205% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have definitely welcomed those medium-term rates of revenue growth.
Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 13% as estimated by the lone analyst watching the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 12% growth , the company is positioned for a comparable revenue result.
With this in mind, it makes sense that Demae-CanLtd's P/S is closely matching its industry peers. It seems most investors are expecting to see average future growth and are only willing to pay a moderate amount for the stock.
The Key Takeaway
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.
We've seen that Demae-CanLtd maintains an adequate P/S seeing as its revenue growth figures match the rest of the industry. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement or deterioration in revenue isn't great enough to push P/S in a higher or lower direction. All things considered, if the P/S and revenue estimates contain no major shocks, then it's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future.
And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Demae-CanLtd you should know about.
If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Demae-CanLtd, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.
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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.
About TSE:2484
Demae-CanLtd
Operates online delivery site Demae-can and related business in Japan.
Flawless balance sheet and slightly overvalued.