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Netlist (NLST) is in focus after announcing a wide ranging alliance with Samsung, including a five year patent cross license, memory product supply arrangements, technology cooperation, and a mutual settlement of ongoing legal actions.

See our latest analysis for Netlist.

The Samsung alliance appears to have coincided with a sharp shift in sentiment toward Netlist, with a 7 day share price return of 66.81% and a year to date share price return of 295.36%. However, the 5 year total shareholder return is down 41.75%, which suggests strong short term momentum compared with a much weaker longer run record.

If this kind of move has you looking beyond a single stock, it could be a good moment to scan other memory and chip related opportunities through our 55 AI infrastructure stocks

Netlist now trades at a steep discount to the US$10 analyst target after a very sharp run. Is the market simply lagging the new Samsung reality, or is that gap accounting for risks that may be significant?

Preferred Price-to-Sales Multiple of 3.9x: Is it justified?

With Netlist now at a $3.92 share price after a sharp move, the stock currently trades on a P/S ratio of 3.9x, which screens as expensive against peers.

The P/S multiple compares the company market value with its revenue. For a business like Netlist that has only recently become profitable and has earnings affected by one off items, revenue based comparisons can be a useful cross check when profit based ratios are less reliable.

Netlist looks expensive versus both its direct peer average P/S of 2.9x and the wider US Electronic industry average of 2.8x. However, that 3.9x multiple is close to the estimated fair P/S of 4x, which indicates the current level is not far from the regression based fair value that the market could potentially move toward over time.

Explore the SWS fair ratio for Netlist

Result: Price-to-Sales of 3.9x (ABOUT RIGHT)

However, Netlist still faces real risks, including its dependence on the terms of the Samsung alliance and the possibility that recent share price momentum proves short lived.

Find out about the key risks to this Netlist narrative.

Next Steps

Mixed signals around Netlist are clear, with strong recent momentum and a weaker long term record sitting side by side. Consider reviewing the data for yourself and weighing both sides of the story by checking the 2 key rewards and 2 important warning signs

Looking for more investment ideas beyond Netlist?

If Netlist has your attention, do not stop there. Broaden your watchlist with other stocks that match your goals using the Simply Wall Street Screener.

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.

Companies discussed in this article include NLST.

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