Risks To Shareholder Returns Are Elevated At These Prices For TSE Co., Ltd (KOSDAQ:131290)

There wouldn't be many who think TSE Co., Ltd's (KOSDAQ:131290) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.4x is worth a mention when the median P/S for the Semiconductor industry in Korea is similar at about 1.2x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

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What Does TSE's Recent Performance Look Like?

With revenue growth that's inferior to most other companies of late, TSE has been relatively sluggish. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to lift, which has kept the P/S from declining. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on TSE.

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For TSE?

TSE's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 40% gain to the company's top line. As a result, it also grew revenue by 13% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing revenue over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the three analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 4.2% over the next year. With the industry predicted to deliver 31% growth, the company is positioned for a weaker revenue result.

In light of this, it's curious that TSE's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as this level of revenue growth is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Key Takeaway

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.

When you consider that TSE's revenue growth estimates are fairly muted compared to the broader industry, it's easy to see why we consider it unexpected to be trading at its current P/S ratio. When we see companies with a relatively weaker revenue outlook compared to the industry, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the moderate P/S lower. Circumstances like this present a risk to current and prospective investors who may see share prices fall if the low revenue growth impacts the sentiment.

A lot of potential risks can sit within a company's balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for TSE with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.

If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.