I&C Technology Co., Ltd.'s (KOSDAQ:052860) Share Price Boosted 26% But Its Business Prospects Need A Lift Too

I&C Technology Co., Ltd. (KOSDAQ:052860) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 26% after a shaky period beforehand. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 28% in the last year.

Even after such a large jump in price, it would still be understandable if you think I&C Technology is a stock with good investment prospects with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 0.8x, considering almost half the companies in Korea's Semiconductor industry have P/S ratios above 2.1x. 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 I&C Technology

What Does I&C Technology's Recent Performance Look Like?

I&C Technology certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing its revenue at a really rapid pace. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/S ratio. 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 out of favour.

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

Is There Any Revenue Growth Forecasted For I&C Technology?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as low as I&C Technology's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 63% gain to the company's top line. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 181% overall rise in revenue, aided by its short-term performance. 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 95% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

With this information, we can see why I&C Technology is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. Apparently many shareholders weren't comfortable holding on to something they believe will continue to trail the wider industry.

The Key Takeaway

Despite I&C Technology's share price climbing recently, its P/S still lags most other companies. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

Our examination of I&C Technology confirms that the company's revenue trends over the past three-year years are a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, as we suspected, given they fall short of current industry expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 2 warning signs for I&C Technology (1 doesn't sit too well with us!) that we have uncovered.

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.