Despite an already strong run, Lifestyle China Group Limited (HKG:2136) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 30% in the last thirty days. Looking further back, the 20% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.
After such a large jump in price, given close to half the companies operating in Hong Kong's Multiline Retail industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.3x, you may consider Lifestyle China Group as a stock to potentially avoid with its 1x P/S ratio. 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 Lifestyle China Group
How Has Lifestyle China Group Performed Recently?
For example, consider that Lifestyle China Group's financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. One possibility is that the P/S is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.
Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Lifestyle China Group will help you shine a light on its historical performance.Do Revenue Forecasts Match The High P/S Ratio?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as high as Lifestyle China Group's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry.
Taking a look back first, the company's revenue growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 1.2%. This has erased any of its gains during the last three years, with practically no change in revenue being achieved in total. Accordingly, shareholders probably wouldn't have been overly satisfied with the unstable medium-term growth rates.
This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 10% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.
In light of this, it's alarming that Lifestyle China Group's P/S sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates 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.
What We Can Learn From Lifestyle China Group's P/S?
Lifestyle China Group shares have taken a big step in a northerly direction, but its P/S is elevated as a result. Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.
The fact that Lifestyle China Group currently trades on a higher P/S relative to the industry is an oddity, since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider industry forecast. Right now we aren't comfortable with the high P/S as this revenue performance isn't likely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these the share price as being reasonable.
There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we've discovered 2 warning signs for Lifestyle China Group (1 is a bit concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.
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.