Those holding Quali-Smart Holdings Limited (HKG:1348) shares would be relieved that the share price has rebounded 26% in the last thirty days, but it needs to keep going to repair the recent damage it has caused to investor portfolios. Still, the 30-day jump doesn't change the fact that longer term shareholders have seen their stock decimated by the 59% share price drop in the last twelve months.

Although its price has surged higher, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Quali-Smart Holdings' P/S ratio of 0.3x, since the median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio for the Leisure industry in Hong Kong is also close to 0.5x. 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.

View our latest analysis for Quali-Smart Holdings

What Does Quali-Smart Holdings' Recent Performance Look Like?

For instance, Quali-Smart Holdings' receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. Perhaps investors believe the recent revenue performance is enough to keep in line with the industry, which is keeping the P/S from dropping off. If you like the company, you'd at least be hoping this is the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

How Is Quali-Smart Holdings' Revenue Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Quali-Smart Holdings would need to produce growth that's similar to the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 46% decrease to the company's top line. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 49% overall. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Weighing that medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 4.2% shows it's an unpleasant look.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that Quali-Smart Holdings' P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate 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 the recent negative growth rates.

The Key Takeaway

Its shares have lifted substantially and now Quali-Smart Holdings' P/S is back within range of the industry median. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-sales ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

The fact that Quali-Smart Holdings currently trades at a P/S on par with the rest of the industry is surprising to us since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term, all while the industry is set to grow. Even though it matches the industry, we're uncomfortable with the current P/S ratio, as this dismal revenue performance is unlikely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, investors will have a hard time accepting the share price as fair value.

Having said that, be aware Quali-Smart Holdings is showing 5 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 4 of those are concerning.

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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