Sonid Inc.'s (KOSDAQ:060230) 26% Share Price Plunge Could Signal Some Risk

The Sonid Inc. (KOSDAQ:060230) share price has softened a substantial 26% over the previous 30 days, handing back much of the gains the stock has made lately. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 56% share price decline.

Although its price has dipped substantially, given close to half the companies operating in Korea's Chemicals industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.7x, you may still consider Sonid as a stock to potentially avoid with its 1.9x 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 as high as it is.

See our latest analysis for Sonid

How Has Sonid Performed Recently?

Revenue has risen firmly for Sonid recently, which is pleasing to see. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is high because investors think this respectable revenue growth will be enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

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

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The High P/S Ratio?

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

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 23%. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 65% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 20% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is pretty similar based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

With this information, we find it interesting that Sonid is trading at a high P/S compared to the industry. Apparently many investors in the company are more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Nevertheless, they may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

What We Can Learn From Sonid's P/S?

Sonid's P/S remain high even after its stock plunged. While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.

Our examination of Sonid revealed its three-year revenue trends aren't impacting its high P/S as much as we would have predicted, given they look similar to current industry expectations. Right now we are uncomfortable with the high P/S as this revenue performance isn't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless there is a significant improvement in the company's medium-term trends, it will be difficult to prevent the P/S ratio from declining to a more reasonable level.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we've discovered 4 warning signs for Sonid (2 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you're unsure about the strength of Sonid's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.