Little Excitement Around 17 Education & Technology Group Inc.'s (NASDAQ:YQ) Revenues As Shares Take 26% Pounding

The 17 Education & Technology Group Inc. (NASDAQ:YQ) share price has softened a substantial 26% over the previous 30 days, handing back much of the gains the stock has made lately. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 23% in that time.

Since its price has dipped substantially, it would be understandable if you think 17 Education & Technology Group is a stock with good investment prospects with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 0.5x, considering almost half the companies in the United States' Consumer Services industry have P/S ratios above 1.6x. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

Our free stock report includes 2 warning signs investors should be aware of before investing in 17 Education & Technology Group. Read for free now.

View our latest analysis for 17 Education & Technology Group

What Does 17 Education & Technology Group's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

The revenue growth achieved at 17 Education & Technology Group over the last year would be more than acceptable for most companies. It might be that many expect the respectable revenue performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/S. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders 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 17 Education & Technology Group's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Is 17 Education & Technology Group's Revenue Growth Trending?

17 Education & Technology Group's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 11%. Ultimately though, it couldn't turn around the poor performance of the prior period, with revenue shrinking 91% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Weighing that medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 12% shows it's an unpleasant look.

With this information, we are not surprised that 17 Education & Technology Group is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. However, we think shrinking revenues are unlikely to lead to a stable P/S over the longer term, which could set up shareholders for future disappointment. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.

What Does 17 Education & Technology Group's P/S Mean For Investors?

17 Education & Technology Group's recently weak share price has pulled its P/S back below other Consumer Services companies. 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 17 Education & Technology Group confirms that the company's shrinking revenue over the past medium-term is a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, given the industry is projected 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. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

It is also worth noting that we have found 2 warning signs for 17 Education & Technology Group that you need to take into consideration.

If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.