Some Shareholders Feeling Restless Over Lion Industries Corporation Berhad's (KLSE:LIONIND) P/S Ratio

It's not a stretch to say that Lion Industries Corporation Berhad's (KLSE:LIONIND) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.1x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" for companies in the Metals and Mining industry in Malaysia, where the median P/S ratio is around 0.4x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/S without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

View our latest analysis for Lion Industries Corporation Berhad

How Has Lion Industries Corporation Berhad Performed Recently?

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Lion Industries Corporation Berhad over the last year, which is not ideal at all. One possibility is that the P/S is moderate because investors think the company might still do enough to be in line with the broader industry in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

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

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For Lion Industries Corporation Berhad?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the industry for P/S ratios like Lion Industries Corporation Berhad's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 26% decrease to the company's top line. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk revenue by 21% 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 9.1% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that Lion Industries Corporation Berhad's P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. Apparently many investors in the company are way less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh on the share price eventually.

What We Can Learn From Lion Industries Corporation Berhad's P/S?

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.

We find it unexpected that Lion Industries Corporation Berhad trades at a P/S ratio that is comparable to the rest of the industry, despite experiencing declining revenues during the medium-term, while the industry as a whole is expected to grow. When we see revenue heading backwards in the context of growing industry forecasts, it'd make sense to expect a possible share price decline on the horizon, sending the moderate P/S lower. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, investors will have a hard time accepting the share price as fair value.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 2 warning signs for Lion Industries Corporation Berhad you should be aware of, and 1 of them doesn't sit too well with us.

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.