The E&M Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:089230) Looks Inexpensive After Falling 26% But Perhaps Not Attractive Enough

Unfortunately for some shareholders, the The E&M Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:089230) share price has dived 26% in the last thirty days, prolonging recent pain. The recent drop completes a disastrous twelve months for shareholders, who are sitting on a 54% loss during that time.

Since its price has dipped substantially, considering around half the companies operating in Korea's Entertainment industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1.5x, you may consider E&M as an solid investment opportunity with its 0.8x 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 limited.

See our latest analysis for E&M

How Has E&M Performed Recently?

For instance, E&M's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. One possibility is that the P/S is low because investors think the company won't do enough to avoid underperforming the broader industry in the near future. Those who are bullish on E&M will be hoping that this isn't the case so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

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 E&M's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Any Revenue Growth Forecasted For E&M?

E&M's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 30% decrease to the company's top line. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 54% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 17% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

With this information, we are not surprised that E&M is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as recent revenue trends are already weighing down the shares.

The Final Word

The southerly movements of E&M's shares means its P/S is now sitting at a pretty low level. 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.

Our examination of E&M confirms that the company's shrinking revenue over the past medium-term is a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, given the industry is projected to grow. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises either. Given the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that the share price will experience any significant movement in either direction in the near future if recent medium-term revenue trends persist.

It is also worth noting that we have found 3 warning signs for E&M (1 can't be ignored!) that you need to take into consideration.

If strong companies turning a profit tickle your fancy, then you'll want to check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.