Profit Cultural and Creative Group Co., Ltd. (SZSE:300640) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 48% gain in the last month alone. Looking further back, the 16% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

Following the firm bounce in price, you could be forgiven for thinking Profit Cultural and Creative Group is a stock not worth researching with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 2.8x, considering almost half the companies in China's Consumer Durables industry have P/S ratios below 2.1x. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/S.

How Profit Cultural and Creative Group Has Been Performing

The revenue growth achieved at Profit Cultural and Creative Group over the last year would be more than acceptable for most companies. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is high because investors think this respectable revenue growth will be enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. 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 High P/S?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as high as Profit Cultural and Creative Group's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 16% gain to the company's top line. The latest three year period has also seen a 14% overall rise in revenue, aided extensively by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing revenue over that time.

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 Profit Cultural and Creative 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. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

The Key Takeaway

Profit Cultural and Creative Group shares have taken a big step in a northerly direction, but its P/S is elevated as a result. 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.

The fact that Profit Cultural and Creative 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. When we observe slower-than-industry revenue growth alongside a high P/S ratio, we assume there to be a significant risk of the share price decreasing, which would result in a lower P/S ratio. 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.

You need to take note of risks, for example - Profit Cultural and Creative Group has 4 warning signs (and 2 which are concerning) we think you should know about.

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.