EMC Corp. (NYSE:EMC)

The analysis of the financial data reveals several notable trends concerning the share price, sales per share, and price-to-sales (P/S) ratio over the given periods.

Share Price

The share price demonstrated volatility across the years. It started at $14.14 in March 2006 and showed a gradual decline to $10.14 by March 2009. Subsequently, a recovery phase occurred, with the share price rising significantly to a peak of $28.94 by February 2015, followed by a slight decrease to $25.93 in February 2016. This trajectory indicates an initial downturn possibly linked to broader market or company-specific factors, then a strong upward momentum that plateaued slightly at the end of the observed period.

Sales per Share

Sales per share showed a consistent and steady increase through the entire timeframe. Beginning at $4.07 in 2006, sales per share rose steadily, reaching $12.69 by February 2016. This sustained growth suggests ongoing improvements in the company's revenue generation on a per-share basis, reflecting positive operational performance or expansion.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S)

P/S ratio exhibited fluctuation throughout the periods. It declined from 3.48 in 2006 to a low of 1.37 in March 2009, indicating the share price decreased at a faster rate than sales per share during this time, possibly reflecting market pessimism or undervaluation. After 2009, the P/S ratio rebounded to 3.31 by February 2011 but then trended downward to 2.04 by February 2016. The decline after 2011 suggests that although sales per share continued to increase, the share price did not increase proportionally, indicating either a market correction or tempered investor expectations relative to sales growth.

Overall, the data portrays a company that experienced share price volatility, particularly around the 2008-2009 financial crisis period, yet maintained strong and steady sales growth per share. The fluctuating P/S ratios point to varying market perceptions of the sales growth's value over time, with the post-crisis years showing a moderation in valuation multiples despite consistent sales improvement.