Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings Limited (HKG:1446) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 28% after a shaky period beforehand. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 29% over that time.

Even after such a large jump in price, Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings may still be sending buy signals at present with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.2x, considering almost half of all companies in the Beverage industry in Hong Kong have P/S ratios greater than 1.9x and even P/S higher than 4x aren't out of the ordinary. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

How Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings Has Been Performing

For instance, Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings' receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. One possibility is that the P/S is low because investors think the company won't do enough to avoid underperforming the broader industry in the near future. Those who are bullish on Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings will be hoping that this isn't the case so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

Is There Any Revenue Growth Forecasted For Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings?

Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings' P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 1.6%. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 7.1% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 14% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

In light of this, it's understandable that Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings' P/S would sit below the majority of other companies. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.

The Key Takeaway

The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings' P/S close to the industry median. We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

Our examination of Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings confirms that the company's shrinking revenue over the past medium-term is a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, given the industry is projected to grow. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

It is also worth noting that we have found 3 warning signs for Hung Fook Tong Group Holdings (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you need to take into consideration.

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.