Tianda Pharmaceuticals Limited (HKG:455) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 27% share price drop in the last month. Instead of being rewarded, shareholders who have already held through the last twelve months are now sitting on a 15% share price drop.

Although its price has dipped substantially, there still wouldn't be many who think Tianda Pharmaceuticals' price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.8x is worth a mention when the median P/S in Hong Kong's Pharmaceuticals industry is similar at about 1.3x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

How Has Tianda Pharmaceuticals Performed Recently?

For example, consider that Tianda Pharmaceuticals' financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. One possibility is that the P/S is moderate because investors think the company might still do enough to be in line with the broader industry in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

How Is Tianda Pharmaceuticals' Revenue Growth Trending?

Tianda Pharmaceuticals' 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.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 2.7% decrease to the company's top line. This has soured the latest three-year period, which nevertheless managed to deliver a decent 19% overall rise in revenue. So we can start by confirming that the company has generally done a good job of growing revenue over that time, even though it had some hiccups along the way.

This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 13% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

With this in mind, we find it intriguing that Tianda Pharmaceuticals' P/S is comparable to that of its industry peers. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. They may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with recent growth rates.

The Key Takeaway

Following Tianda Pharmaceuticals' share price tumble, its P/S is just clinging on to the industry median P/S. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

Our examination of Tianda Pharmaceuticals revealed its poor three-year revenue trends aren't resulting in a lower P/S as per our expectations, given they look worse than current industry outlook. 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 the recent medium-term conditions improve, it's hard to accept the current share price as fair value.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Tianda Pharmaceuticals (at least 1 which is significant), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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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