Market Might Still Lack Some Conviction On NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) Even After 32% Share Price Boost

Those holding NIO Inc. (NYSE:NIO) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 32% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 34% over that time.

Although its price has surged higher, NIO may still be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.5x, since almost half of all companies in the Auto industry in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 2x and even P/S higher than 12x are not unusual. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

See our latest analysis for NIO

What Does NIO's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

With revenue growth that's inferior to most other companies of late, NIO has been relatively sluggish. It seems that many are expecting the uninspiring revenue performance to persist, which has repressed the growth of the P/S ratio. If this is the case, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

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

How Is NIO's Revenue Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, NIO would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 13%. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 242% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenues over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next three years should generate growth of 26% per annum as estimated by the analysts watching the company. With the industry only predicted to deliver 21% per year, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

In light of this, it's peculiar that NIO's P/S sits below the majority of other companies. It looks like most investors are not convinced at all that the company can achieve future growth expectations.

What We Can Learn From NIO's P/S?

The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift NIO's P/S close to the industry median. 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.

To us, it seems NIO currently trades on a significantly depressed P/S given its forecasted revenue growth is higher than the rest of its industry. There could be some major risk factors that are placing downward pressure on the P/S ratio. While the possibility of the share price plunging seems unlikely due to the high growth forecasted for the company, the market does appear to have some hesitation.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with NIO, and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.