Biomm S.A. (BVMF:BIOM3) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 25% share price drop in the last month. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 32% in that time.
Following the heavy fall in price, Biomm may be sending buy signals at present with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 6.8x, considering almost half of all companies in the Biotechs industry in Brazil have P/S ratios greater than 11.2x and even P/S higher than 52x aren't out of the ordinary. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
See our latest analysis for Biomm
Revenue has risen firmly for Biomm recently, which is pleasing to see. One possibility is that the P/S is low because investors think this respectable revenue growth might actually underperform the broader industry in the near future. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.
Although there are no analyst estimates available for Biomm, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.Biomm'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.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 16% last year. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow revenue by 41% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have definitely welcomed those medium-term rates of revenue growth.
Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 102% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.
In light of this, it's understandable that Biomm's P/S sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.
Biomm's recently weak share price has pulled its P/S back below other Biotechs companies. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.
As we suspected, our examination of Biomm revealed its three-year revenue trends are contributing to its low P/S, given they look worse than current industry expectations. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price experience a reversal of fortunes anytime soon.
And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Biomm you should know about.
If strong companies turning a profit tickle your fancy, then you'll want to check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).
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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.