H2APEX Group SCA (ETR:H2A) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 51% after a shaky period beforehand. But the last month did very little to improve the 62% share price decline over the last year.
Since its price has surged higher, when almost half of the companies in Germany's Oil and Gas industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 2.5x, you may consider H2APEX Group as a stock not worth researching with its 9.2x P/S ratio. However, the P/S might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
Check out our latest analysis for H2APEX Group
H2APEX Group hasn't been tracking well recently as its declining revenue compares poorly to other companies, which have seen some growth in their revenues on average. Perhaps the market is expecting the poor revenue to reverse, justifying it's current high P/S.. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.
Want the full picture on analyst estimates for the company? Then our free report on H2APEX Group will help you uncover what's on the horizon.There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the industry for P/S ratios like H2APEX Group's to be considered reasonable.
In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 71%. Still, the latest three year period has seen an excellent 188% overall rise in revenue, in spite of its unsatisfying short-term performance. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would definitely welcome the medium-term rates of revenue growth.
Shifting to the future, estimates from the dual analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 68% per annum over the next three years. That's shaping up to be materially higher than the 5.2% per year growth forecast for the broader industry.
With this information, we can see why H2APEX Group is trading at such a high P/S compared to the industry. Apparently shareholders aren't keen to offload something that is potentially eyeing a more prosperous future.
Shares in H2APEX Group have seen a strong upwards swing lately, which has really helped boost its P/S figure. While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.
Our look into H2APEX Group shows that its P/S ratio remains high on the merit of its strong future revenues. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in revenues is quite remote, justifying the elevated P/S ratio. Unless the analysts have really missed the mark, these strong revenue forecasts should keep the share price buoyant.
Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 4 warning signs for H2APEX Group (3 are significant!) that 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.