Despite an already strong run, YesAsia Holdings Limited (HKG:2209) shares have been powering on, with a gain of 120% in the last thirty days. This latest share price bounce rounds out a remarkable 312% gain over the last twelve months.

Although its price has surged higher, there still wouldn't be many who think YesAsia Holdings' price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.5x is worth a mention when the median P/S in Hong Kong's Specialty Retail industry is similar at about 0.4x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/S ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

What Does YesAsia Holdings' P/S Mean For Shareholders?

YesAsia Holdings certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing its revenue at a really rapid pace. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to taper off, which has kept the P/S from rising. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For YesAsia Holdings?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the industry for P/S ratios like YesAsia Holdings' to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 57% gain to the company's top line. The latest three year period has also seen a 16% overall rise in revenue, aided extensively by its short-term performance. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been respectable for the company.

This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 10.0% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's curious that YesAsia Holdings' 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 Final Word

Its shares have lifted substantially and now YesAsia Holdings' P/S is back within range of 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.

We've established that YesAsia Holdings' 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. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, the probability of a share price decline will become quite substantial, placing shareholders at risk.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for YesAsia Holdings that you should be aware of.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com