Guangdong TianYiMa Information Industry Co.,Ltd. (SZSE:301178) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 34% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 27% in the last twelve months.

Although its price has surged higher, it's still not a stretch to say that Guangdong TianYiMa Information IndustryLtd's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 3.8x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the IT industry in China, where the median P/S ratio is around 3.3x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

How Guangdong TianYiMa Information IndustryLtd Has Been Performing

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Guangdong TianYiMa Information IndustryLtd 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.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The P/S?

Guangdong TianYiMa Information IndustryLtd's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with 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 9.6%. 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 10% in total. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would be roughly satisfied with the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 28% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's curious that Guangdong TianYiMa Information IndustryLtd's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Key Takeaway

Guangdong TianYiMa Information IndustryLtd appears to be back in favour with a solid price jump bringing its P/S back in line with other companies in the industry 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.

We've established that Guangdong TianYiMa Information IndustryLtd's average P/S is a bit surprising since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider industry forecast. 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.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 4 warning signs for Guangdong TianYiMa Information IndustryLtd (3 shouldn'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.

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