Those holding Ningbo TIP Rubber Technology Co.,Ltd (SHSE:605255) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 29% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Unfortunately, despite the strong performance over the last month, the full year gain of 8.9% isn't as attractive.

After such a large jump in price, given around half the companies in China's Auto Components industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 2.4x, you may consider Ningbo TIP Rubber TechnologyLtd as a stock to avoid entirely with its 6.1x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/S.

What Does Ningbo TIP Rubber TechnologyLtd's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Ningbo TIP Rubber TechnologyLtd has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue at a solid pace. Perhaps the market is expecting this decent revenue performance to beat out the industry over the near term, which has kept the P/S propped up. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Ningbo TIP Rubber TechnologyLtd?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Ningbo TIP Rubber TechnologyLtd would need to produce outstanding growth that's well in excess of the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 14% gain to the company's revenues. The solid recent performance means it was also able to grow revenue by 23% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing revenue over that time.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 22% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that Ningbo TIP Rubber TechnologyLtd's P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

The Key Takeaway

Shares in Ningbo TIP Rubber TechnologyLtd have seen a strong upwards swing lately, which has really helped boost its P/S figure. 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.

Our examination of Ningbo TIP Rubber TechnologyLtd revealed its poor three-year revenue trends aren't detracting from the P/S as much as we though, given they look worse than current industry expectations. When we see slower than industry revenue growth but an elevated P/S, there's considerable risk of the share price declining, sending the P/S lower. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these the share price as being reasonable.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Ningbo TIP Rubber TechnologyLtd (2 can't be ignored) you should be aware of.

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.