Ramaco Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:METC) Stock Rockets 28% But Many Are Still Ignoring The Company

Ramaco Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:METC) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 28% gain in the last month alone. While recent buyers may be laughing, long-term holders might not be as pleased since the recent gain only brings the stock back to where it started a year ago.

Even after such a large jump in price, Ramaco Resources may still be sending buy signals at present with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1x, considering almost half of all companies in the Metals and Mining industry in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 1.9x and even P/S higher than 6x 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 limited.

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Check out our latest analysis for Ramaco Resources

How Ramaco Resources Has Been Performing

Ramaco Resources hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining revenue compares poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth in their revenues on average. Perhaps the P/S remains low as investors think the prospects of strong revenue growth aren't on the horizon. If this is the case, then existing shareholders will probably struggle to get excited about the future direction of the share price.

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Ramaco Resources.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/S?

Ramaco Resources' P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

Taking a look back first, the company's revenue growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 10%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow revenue by an impressive 59% 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 generate growth of 11% per annum as estimated by the three analysts watching the company. With the industry only predicted to deliver 5.3% per year, the company is positioned for a stronger revenue result.

With this in consideration, we find it intriguing that Ramaco Resources' P/S sits behind most of its industry peers. It looks like most investors are not convinced at all that the company can achieve future growth expectations.

The Key Takeaway

Ramaco Resources' stock price has surged recently, but its but its P/S still remains modest. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

To us, it seems Ramaco Resources 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.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Ramaco Resources that 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.