Mandarin Oriental International Limited's (SGX:M04) Business Is Yet to Catch Up With Its Share Price

Mandarin Oriental International Limited's (SGX:M04) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 4.7x may look like a poor investment opportunity when you consider close to half the companies in the Hospitality industry in Singapore have P/S ratios below 1.9x. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/S.

View our latest analysis for Mandarin Oriental International

ps-multiple-vs-industry

How Mandarin Oriental International Has Been Performing

Mandarin Oriental International certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing its revenue at a really rapid pace. It seems that many are expecting the strong revenue performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

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

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Mandarin Oriental International?

Mandarin Oriental International's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 43% last year. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen the company endure a nasty 20% drop in revenue in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 31% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

With this information, we find it concerning that Mandarin Oriental International is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On Mandarin Oriental International's P/S

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.

We've established that Mandarin Oriental International currently trades on a much higher than expected P/S since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term. Right now we aren't comfortable with the high P/S as this revenue performance is highly unlikely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, investors will have a hard time accepting the share price as fair value.

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

If you're unsure about the strength of Mandarin Oriental International's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.

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