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GBA Holdings Limited (HKG:261) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 34% after a shaky period beforehand. Notwithstanding the latest gain, the annual share price return of 6.1% isn't as impressive.

Following the firm bounce in price, you could be forgiven for thinking GBA Holdings is a stock not worth researching with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 1.9x, considering almost half the companies in Hong Kong's Communications industry have P/S ratios below 0.4x. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's as high as it is.

Check out our latest analysis for GBA Holdings

How Has GBA Holdings Performed Recently?

Recent times have been quite advantageous for GBA Holdings as its revenue has been rising very briskly. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to outperform the wider market, which has seemingly got people interested in the stock. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

How Is GBA Holdings' Revenue Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, GBA Holdings would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 41%. Despite this strong recent growth, it's still struggling to catch up as its three-year revenue frustratingly shrank by 80% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 44% 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 GBA Holdings is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. 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 Key Takeaway

GBA Holdings' P/S is on the rise since its shares have risen strongly. Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

Our examination of GBA Holdings revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term isn't resulting in a P/S as low as we expected, given the industry is set to grow. When we see revenue heading backwards and underperforming the industry forecasts, we feel the possibility of the share price declining is very real, bringing the P/S back into the realm of reasonability. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, investors will have a hard time accepting the share price as fair value.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 4 warning signs for GBA Holdings (2 can't be ignored!) that you should be aware of.

If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.