What Retty Inc.'s (TSE:7356) 36% Share Price Gain Is Not Telling You

The Retty Inc. (TSE:7356) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 36%. Looking further back, the 21% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

Even after such a large jump in price, it's still not a stretch to say that Retty's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.8x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the Interactive Media and Services industry in Japan, where the median P/S ratio is around 1.5x. 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 Retty. Read for free now.

Check out our latest analysis for Retty

What Does Retty's Recent Performance Look Like?

It looks like revenue growth has deserted Retty recently, which is not something to boast about. Perhaps the market believes the recent run-of-the-mill revenue performance isn't enough to outperform the industry, which has kept the P/S muted. If not, then existing shareholders may be feeling hopeful about the future direction of the share price.

Although there are no analyst estimates available for Retty, 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 P/S?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the industry for P/S ratios like Retty's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that there was hardly any revenue growth to speak of for the company over the past year. The lack of growth did nothing to help the company's aggregate three-year performance, which is an unsavory 14% drop in revenue. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 9.7% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that Retty's P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

The Bottom Line On Retty's P/S

Retty appears to be back in favour with a solid price jump bringing its P/S back in line with other companies in 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.

The fact that Retty currently trades at a P/S on par with the rest of the industry is surprising to us since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term, all while the industry is set to grow. Even though it matches the industry, we're uncomfortable with the current P/S ratio, as this dismal revenue performance is unlikely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless the the circumstances surrounding the recent medium-term improve, it wouldn't be wrong to expect a a difficult period ahead for the company's shareholders.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 2 warning signs for Retty you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit unpleasant.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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.