When you see that almost half of the companies in the Auto Components industry in the United States have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.7x, Hesai Group (NASDAQ:HSAI) looks to be giving off some sell signals with its 2.2x P/S ratio. However, the P/S might be high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
Check out our latest analysis for Hesai Group
How Has Hesai Group Performed Recently?
With revenue growth that's superior to most other companies of late, Hesai Group has been doing relatively well. It seems that many are expecting the strong revenue performance to persist, which has raised the P/S. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
Keen to find out how analysts think Hesai Group's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Hesai Group?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as high as Hesai Group's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry.
If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 30%. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 267% overall rise in revenue, aided by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have definitely welcomed those medium-term rates of revenue growth.
Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 45% each year as estimated by the eight analysts watching the company. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 18% per year growth forecast for the broader industry.
With this in mind, it's not hard to understand why Hesai Group's P/S is high relative to its industry peers. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.
The Key Takeaway
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.
As we suspected, our examination of Hesai Group's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior revenue outlook is contributing to its high P/S. It appears that shareholders are confident in the company's future revenues, which is propping up the P/S. It's hard to see the share price falling strongly in the near future under these circumstances.
Plus, you should also learn about this 1 warning sign we've spotted with Hesai Group.
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.
Valuation is complex, but we're here to simplify it.
Discover if Hesai Group might be undervalued or overvalued with our detailed analysis, featuring fair value estimates, potential risks, dividends, insider trades, and its financial condition.
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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.
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About NasdaqGS:HSAI
Hesai Group
Through with its subsidiaries, engages in the development, manufacture, and sale of three-dimensional light detection and ranging solutions (LiDAR) in Mainland China, Europe, North America, and internationally.
High growth potential and fair value.