Despite an already strong run, Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology Company Limited (SHSE:600841) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 26% in the last thirty days. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 17% in the last twelve months.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology may still be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-sales (or “P/S”) ratio of 1x, since almost half of all companies in the Machinery industry in China have P/S ratios greater than 3x and even P/S higher than 6x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we’d need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

View our latest analysis for Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology

How Has Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology Performed Recently?

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology over the last year, which is not ideal at all. One possibility is that the P/S is low because investors think the company won’t do enough to avoid underperforming 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.

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 Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology’s earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology would need to produce sluggish growth that’s trailing the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 13% decrease to the company’s top line. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 69% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 25% over the next year, which really puts the company’s recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

With this in mind, we understand why Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology’s P/S is lower than most of its industry peers. Nonetheless, there’s no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as recent revenue trends are already weighing down the shares.

What Does Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology’s P/S Mean For Investors?

Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology’s stock price has surged recently, but its but its P/S still remains modest. 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.

It’s no surprise that Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology maintains its low P/S off the back of its sliding revenue over the medium-term. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won’t provide any pleasant surprises either. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it’s hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future under these circumstances.

It’s always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We’ve identified 1 warning sign with Shanghai New Power Automotive Technology, and understanding should be part of your investment process.

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.