Why Investors Shouldn't Be Surprised By Tucows Inc.'s (NASDAQ:TCX) 30% Share Price Plunge

Tucows Inc. (NASDAQ:TCX) shareholders won't be pleased to see that the share price has had a very rough month, dropping 30% and undoing the prior period's positive performance. Instead of being rewarded, shareholders who have already held through the last twelve months are now sitting on a 21% share price drop.

Following the heavy fall in price, Tucows may be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.4x, since almost half of all companies in the IT industry in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 2.4x and even P/S higher than 6x are not unusual. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

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View our latest analysis for Tucows

How Tucows Has Been Performing

The recent revenue growth at Tucows would have to be considered satisfactory if not spectacular. It might be that many expect the respectable revenue performance to degrade, which has repressed the P/S. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders may have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

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 Tucows' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Is Tucows' Revenue Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as low as Tucows' is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 6.8% gain to the company's revenues. Revenue has also lifted 19% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been respectable for the company.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 9.5% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

In light of this, it's understandable that Tucows' P/S sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

The Key Takeaway

Tucows' P/S has taken a dip along with its share price. We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

In line with expectations, Tucows maintains its low P/S on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider industry forecast. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Tucows that you should be aware of.

If strong companies turning a profit tickle your fancy, then you'll want to check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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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.