The Market Doesn't Like What It Sees From ALM Equity AB (publ)'s (STO:ALM) Revenues Yet As Shares Tumble 26%

ALM Equity AB (publ) (STO:ALM) shareholders won't be pleased to see that the share price has had a very rough month, dropping 26% and undoing the prior period's positive performance. The recent drop completes a disastrous twelve months for shareholders, who are sitting on a 58% loss during that time.

Since its price has dipped substantially, ALM Equity may look like a strong buying opportunity at present with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1x, considering almost half of all companies in the Real Estate industry in Sweden have P/S ratios greater than 5.1x and even P/S higher than 8x aren't out of the ordinary. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so limited.

View our latest analysis for ALM Equity

How Has ALM Equity Performed Recently?

ALM Equity could be doing better as its revenue has been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive revenue growth. The P/S ratio is probably low because investors think this poor revenue performance isn't going to get any better. So while you could say the stock is cheap, investors will be looking for improvement before they see it as good value.

Keen to find out how analysts think ALM Equity's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far underperform the industry for P/S ratios like ALM Equity's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 65% decrease to the company's top line. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow revenue by an impressive 36% in total over the last three years. Although it's been a bumpy ride, it's still fair to say the revenue growth recently has been more than adequate for the company.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should bring diminished returns, with revenue decreasing 24% each year as estimated by the two analysts watching the company. With the industry predicted to deliver 3.9% growth each year, that's a disappointing outcome.

With this information, we are not surprised that ALM Equity is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. However, shrinking revenues are unlikely to lead to a stable P/S over the longer term. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as the weak outlook is weighing down the shares.

The Key Takeaway

Shares in ALM Equity have plummeted and its P/S has followed suit. Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

It's clear to see that ALM Equity maintains its low P/S on the weakness of its forecast for sliding revenue, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. It's hard to see the share price rising strongly in the near future under these circumstances.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 3 warning signs for ALM Equity you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning.

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.