iCatch Technology, Inc.'s (TWSE:6695) 30% Price Boost Is Out Of Tune With Revenues

Those holding iCatch Technology, Inc. (TWSE:6695) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 30% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 58% in the last year.

Following the firm bounce in price, when almost half of the companies in Taiwan's Semiconductor industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 3.6x, you may consider iCatch Technology as a stock not worth researching with its 6.3x 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 so lofty.

Check out our latest analysis for iCatch Technology

What Does iCatch Technology's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

For example, consider that iCatch Technology's financial performance has been pretty ordinary lately as revenue growth is non-existent. It might be that many are expecting an improvement to the uninspiring revenue performance over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from collapsing. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

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

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The High P/S Ratio?

iCatch Technology's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's top line as the year before. Still, the latest three year period was better as it's delivered a decent 29% overall rise in revenue. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.

Comparing the recent medium-term revenue trends against the industry's one-year growth forecast of 25% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

With this information, we find it concerning that iCatch Technology is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On iCatch Technology's P/S

Shares in iCatch Technology have seen a strong upwards swing lately, which has really helped boost its P/S figure. Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

The fact that iCatch Technology 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 observe slower-than-industry revenue growth alongside a high P/S ratio, we assume there to be a significant risk of the share price decreasing, which would result in a lower P/S ratio. 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.

You always need to take note of risks, for example - iCatch Technology has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.