KC Co., Ltd.'s (KRX:029460) Business And Shares Still Trailing The Industry

KC Co., Ltd.'s (KRX:029460) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.4x might make it look like a buy right now compared to the Semiconductor industry in Korea, where around half of the companies have P/S ratios above 1.7x and even P/S above 4x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

Trump has pledged to "unleash" American oil and gas and these 15 US stocks have developments that are poised to benefit.

See our latest analysis for KC

How KC Has Been Performing

Revenue has risen firmly for KC recently, which is pleasing to see. Perhaps the market is expecting this acceptable revenue performance to take a dive, which has kept the P/S suppressed. 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.

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on KC will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Is There Any Revenue Growth Forecasted For KC?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the industry for P/S ratios like KC's to be considered reasonable.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 17% last year. However, the latest three year period hasn't been as great in aggregate as it didn't manage to provide any growth at all. Therefore, it's fair to say that revenue growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Comparing the recent medium-term revenue trends against the industry's one-year growth forecast of 56% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

With this in consideration, it's easy to understand why KC's P/S falls short of the mark set by its industry peers. 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.

What We Can Learn From KC's P/S?

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

In line with expectations, KC maintains its low P/S on the weakness of its recent three-year growth being lower than the wider industry forecast. 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.

Plus, you should also learn about this 1 warning sign we've spotted with KC.

If you're unsure about the strength of KC'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.