MClean Technologies Berhad (KLSE:MCLEAN) Held Back By Insufficient Growth Even After Shares Climb 37%

MClean Technologies Berhad (KLSE:MCLEAN) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 37% gain in the last month alone. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 86% in the last year.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, MClean Technologies Berhad may still be sending buy signals at present with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.1x, considering almost half of all companies in the Commercial Services industry in Malaysia have P/S ratios greater than 1.9x and even P/S higher than 4x aren't out of the ordinary. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

Check out our latest analysis for MClean Technologies Berhad

What Does MClean Technologies Berhad's Recent Performance Look Like?

For instance, MClean Technologies Berhad's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the disappointing revenue performance to continue or accelerate, which has repressed the P/S. Those who are bullish on MClean Technologies Berhad will be hoping that this isn't the case so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

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

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/S?

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

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 8.7%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk revenue by 15% in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 15% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

In light of this, it's understandable that MClean Technologies Berhad's P/S would sit below the majority of other companies. 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.

What Does MClean Technologies Berhad's P/S Mean For Investors?

Despite MClean Technologies Berhad's share price climbing recently, its P/S still lags most other companies. 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.

It's no surprise that MClean Technologies Berhad maintains its low P/S off the back of its sliding revenue over the medium-term. 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.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we've discovered 3 warning signs for MClean Technologies Berhad (2 don't sit too well with us!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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.