Hyundai Elevator Co., Ltd's (KRX:017800) Share Price Not Quite Adding Up

It's not a stretch to say that Hyundai Elevator Co., Ltd's (KRX:017800) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.6x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" for companies in the Machinery industry in Korea, where the median P/S ratio is around 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Hyundai Elevator

How Has Hyundai Elevator Performed Recently?

The revenue growth achieved at Hyundai Elevator over the last year would be more than acceptable for most companies. One possibility is that the P/S is moderate because investors think this respectable revenue growth might not be enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. 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 Hyundai Elevator's 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 Hyundai Elevator's to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 11%. This was backed up an excellent period prior to see revenue up by 47% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.

Comparing the recent medium-term revenue trends against the industry's one-year growth forecast of 42% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

In light of this, it's curious that Hyundai Elevator'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. They may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

The Final Word

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 Hyundai Elevator 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.

It is also worth noting that we have found 2 warning signs for Hyundai Elevator (1 can't be ignored!) that you need to take into consideration.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.