With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 0.7x in the Personal Products industry in Hong Kong, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Zhongzheng International Company Limited's (HKG:943) P/S ratio of 0.9x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.
Check out our latest analysis for Zhongzheng International
What Does Zhongzheng International's Recent Performance Look Like?
As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Zhongzheng International over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing revenue performance behind them over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from falling. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.
Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Zhongzheng International will help you shine a light on its historical performance.Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For Zhongzheng International?
In order to justify its P/S ratio, Zhongzheng International would need to produce growth that's similar to 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 21%. That put a dampener on the good run it was having over the longer-term as its three-year revenue growth is still a noteworthy 27% in total. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a good job of growing revenue over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.
Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 29% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.
In light of this, it's curious that Zhongzheng International's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.
The Bottom Line On Zhongzheng International's P/S
While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.
Our examination of Zhongzheng International revealed its poor three-year revenue trends aren't resulting in a lower P/S as per our expectations, given they look worse than current industry outlook. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/S as this revenue performance isn't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless there is a significant improvement in the company's medium-term performance, it will be difficult to prevent the P/S ratio from declining to a more reasonable level.
Having said that, be aware Zhongzheng International is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 2 of those can't be ignored.
If you're unsure about the strength of Zhongzheng 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.