Why Investors Shouldn't Be Surprised By DLE Inc.'s (TSE:3686) P/S

When you see that almost half of the companies in the Media industry in Japan have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.8x, DLE Inc. (TSE:3686) looks to be giving off strong sell signals with its 3.4x 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 so lofty.

Check out our latest analysis for DLE

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

For example, consider that DLE's financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. One possibility is that the P/S is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

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 DLE's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The High P/S Ratio?

DLE's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 4.7%. Regardless, revenue has managed to lift by a handy 26% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the earlier period of growth. 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.

Comparing that to the industry, which is only predicted to deliver 5.3% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is stronger based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

With this information, we can see why DLE is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. It seems most investors are expecting this strong growth to continue and are willing to pay more for the stock.

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

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

We've established that DLE maintains its high P/S on the strength of its recent three-year growth being higher than the wider industry forecast, as expected. In the eyes of shareholders, the probability of a continued growth trajectory is great enough to prevent the P/S from pulling back. Unless the recent medium-term conditions change, they will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 3 warning signs for DLE (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of.

If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.