It's not a stretch to say that SOCO Corporation Ltd's (ASX:SOC) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.9x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" for companies in the IT industry in Australia, where the median P/S ratio is around 1.5x. 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.

See our latest analysis for SOCO

What Does SOCO's Recent Performance Look Like?

Recent times have been quite advantageous for SOCO as its revenue has been rising very briskly. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to wane, which has kept the share price, and thus the P/S ratio, from rising. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Although there are no analyst estimates available for SOCO, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Is SOCO's Revenue Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, SOCO would need to produce growth that's similar to the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 59% gain to the company's top line. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 226% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.

Comparing that to the industry, which is only predicted to deliver 23% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is stronger based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

In light of this, it's curious that SOCO's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders believe the recent performance is at its limits and have been accepting lower selling prices.

The Key Takeaway

Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

To our surprise, SOCO revealed its three-year revenue trends aren't contributing to its P/S as much as we would have predicted, given they look better than current industry expectations. When we see strong revenue with faster-than-industry growth, we can only assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/S ratio. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued if recent medium-term revenue trends continue, but investors seem to think future revenue could see some volatility.

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

If you're unsure about the strength of SOCO's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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.

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