MMAG Holdings Berhad's (KLSE:MMAG) Business Is Trailing The Industry But Its Shares Aren't

When close to half the companies in the IT industry in Malaysia have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 1.8x, you may consider MMAG Holdings Berhad (KLSE:MMAG) as a stock to potentially avoid with its 2.5x 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 as high as it is.

View our latest analysis for MMAG Holdings Berhad

What Does MMAG Holdings Berhad's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

The revenue growth achieved at MMAG Holdings Berhad over the last year would be more than acceptable for most companies. It might be that many expect the respectable revenue performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on MMAG Holdings Berhad will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

How Is MMAG Holdings Berhad's Revenue Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should outperform the industry for P/S ratios like MMAG Holdings Berhad's to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 19%. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 57% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Comparing the recent medium-term revenue trends against the industry's one-year growth forecast of 18% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that MMAG Holdings Berhad's P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

The Final Word

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.

The fact that MMAG Holdings Berhad currently trades on a higher P/S relative to the industry is an oddity, since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider industry forecast. When we see slower than industry revenue growth but an elevated P/S, there's considerable risk of the share price declining, sending the P/S lower. Unless there is a significant improvement in the company's medium-term performance, it will be difficult to prevent the P/S ratio from declining to a more reasonable level.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for MMAG Holdings Berhad (2 are a bit unpleasant) you should be aware of.

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.