Stock Analysis

Senstar Technologies Corporation's (NASDAQ:SNT) Price Is Right But Growth Is Lacking After Shares Rocket 49%

NasdaqGM:SNT
Source: Shutterstock

Senstar Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ:SNT) shareholders have had their patience rewarded with a 49% share price jump in the last month. The last 30 days bring the annual gain to a very sharp 98%.

Even after such a large jump in price, Senstar Technologies 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 Electronic industry in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 2.1x and even P/S higher than 5x are not unusual. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

Check out our latest analysis for Senstar Technologies

ps-multiple-vs-industry
NasdaqGM:SNT Price to Sales Ratio vs Industry November 13th 2024

How Has Senstar Technologies Performed Recently?

For example, consider that Senstar Technologies' financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. Perhaps the market believes the recent revenue performance isn't good enough to keep up the industry, causing the P/S ratio to suffer. 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 out of favour.

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Senstar Technologies will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

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

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 2.4%. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 59% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 9.0% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

With this information, we are not surprised that Senstar Technologies is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.

The Bottom Line On Senstar Technologies' P/S

Despite Senstar Technologies' share price climbing recently, its P/S still lags most other companies. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Senstar Technologies revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term is contributing to its low P/S, given the industry is set to grow. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. Given the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that the share price will experience any significant movement in either direction in the near future if recent medium-term revenue trends persist.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Senstar Technologies that you should be aware of.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Senstar Technologies, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

New: Manage All Your Stock Portfolios in One Place

We've created the ultimate portfolio companion for stock investors, and it's free.

• Connect an unlimited number of Portfolios and see your total in one currency
• Be alerted to new Warning Signs or Risks via email or mobile
• Track the Fair Value of your stocks

Try a Demo Portfolio for Free

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

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.