When close to half the companies operating in the Healthcare Services industry in China have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 8.6x, you may consider Winning Health Technology Group Co., Ltd. (SZSE:300253) as an attractive investment with its 5.1x P/S ratio. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.
Check out our latest analysis for Winning Health Technology Group
How Winning Health Technology Group Has Been Performing
Recent times have been advantageous for Winning Health Technology Group as its revenues have been rising faster than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the share price, and thus the P/S ratio. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be quite optimistic about the future direction of the share price.
If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on Winning Health Technology Group.How Is Winning Health Technology Group's Revenue Growth Trending?
The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as low as Winning Health Technology Group's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry.
Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 9.3% last year. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 50% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenues over that time.
Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 29% as estimated by the six analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 41%, which is noticeably more attractive.
With this information, we can see why Winning Health Technology Group is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. It seems most investors are expecting to see limited future growth and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.
The Final Word
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.
As expected, our analysis of Winning Health Technology Group's analyst forecasts confirms that the company's underwhelming revenue outlook is a major contributor to its low P/S. Shareholders' pessimism on the revenue prospects for the company seems to be the main contributor to the depressed P/S. Unless these conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.
You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 2 warning signs for Winning Health Technology Group you should be aware of.
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).
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.