With a price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.8x Tsinghua Tongfang Co.,Ltd. (SHSE:600100) may be sending very bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all the Tech companies in China have P/S ratios greater than 3.7x and even P/S higher than 7x are not unusual. However, the P/S might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

See our latest analysis for Tsinghua TongfangLtd

How Tsinghua TongfangLtd Has Been Performing

Tsinghua TongfangLtd has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue at a solid pace. It might be that many expect the respectable revenue performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/S. Those who are bullish on Tsinghua TongfangLtd will be hoping that this isn't the case, so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

How Is Tsinghua TongfangLtd's Revenue Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as depressed as Tsinghua TongfangLtd's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry decidedly.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 15% gain to the company's revenues. The solid recent performance means it was also able to grow revenue by 23% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing revenue over that time.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 28% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

With this information, we can see why Tsinghua TongfangLtd is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

The Final Word

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.

Our examination of Tsinghua TongfangLtd confirms that the company's revenue trends over the past three-year years are a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, as we suspected, given they fall short of current industry expectations. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price experience a reversal of fortunes anytime soon.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Tsinghua TongfangLtd you should know about.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on Tsinghua TongfangLtd, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.