Yahoo Finance What Noel Gifts International Ltd's (SGX:543) 26% Share Price Gain Is Not Telling You
Noel Gifts International Ltd (SGX:543) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 26% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Looking back a bit further, it's encouraging to see the stock is up 35% in the last year.
Following the firm bounce in price, you could be forgiven for thinking Noel Gifts International is a stock not worth researching with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 1.5x, considering almost half the companies in Singapore's Specialty Retail industry have P/S ratios below 0.8x. However, the P/S might be high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
Check out our latest analysis for Noel Gifts International
What Does Noel Gifts International's Recent Performance Look Like?
For example, consider that Noel Gifts International's financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. It might be that many expect the company to still outplay most other companies over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from collapsing. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Noel Gifts International will help you shine a light on its historical performance.
What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The High P/S?
In order to justify its P/S ratio, Noel Gifts International would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the industry.
In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 10%. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 6.8% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.
Weighing that medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 13% shows it's an unpleasant look.
With this information, we find it concerning that Noel Gifts International is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.
What We Can Learn From Noel Gifts International's P/S?
The large bounce in Noel Gifts International's shares has lifted the company's P/S handsomely. 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.
Our examination of Noel Gifts International revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term isn't resulting in a P/S as low as we expected, given the industry is set to grow. With a revenue decline on investors' minds, the likelihood of a souring sentiment is quite high which could send the P/S back in line with what we'd expect. Unless the the circumstances surrounding the recent medium-term improve, it wouldn't be wrong to expect a a difficult period ahead for the company's shareholders.
And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Noel Gifts International (of which 1 can't be ignored!) you should know about.
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.
