Yoshitsu Co., Ltd's (NASDAQ:TKLF) 183% Share Price Surge Not Quite Adding Up

Yoshitsu Co., Ltd (NASDAQ:TKLF) shareholders have had their patience rewarded with a 183% share price jump in the last month. Still, the 30-day jump doesn't change the fact that longer term shareholders have seen their stock decimated by the 52% share price drop in the last twelve months.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, there still wouldn't be many who think Yoshitsu's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.2x is worth a mention when the median P/S in the United States' Specialty Retail industry is similar at about 0.4x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/S without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

Check out our latest analysis for Yoshitsu

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

Yoshitsu has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue at a solid pace. One possibility is that the P/S is moderate because investors think this respectable revenue growth might not be enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on Yoshitsu's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For Yoshitsu?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the industry for P/S ratios like Yoshitsu's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 14% gain to the company's revenues. Still, revenue has barely risen at all in aggregate from three years ago, which is not ideal. 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 3.6% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

In light of this, it's curious that Yoshitsu's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. They may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

The Final Word

Its shares have lifted substantially and now Yoshitsu's P/S is back within range of the industry median. 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.

We've established that Yoshitsu's average P/S is a bit surprising since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider industry forecast. When we see weak revenue with slower than industry growth, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, bringing the P/S back in line with expectations. 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.

It is also worth noting that we have found 6 warning signs for Yoshitsu (3 are concerning!) that you need to take into consideration.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com