Unfortunately for some shareholders, the Hybio Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (SZSE:300199) share price has dived 27% in the last thirty days, prolonging recent pain. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 30% in that time.

Even after such a large drop in price, given around half the companies in China's Pharmaceuticals industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 3.3x, you may still consider Hybio Pharmaceutical as a stock to avoid entirely with its 15.1x P/S ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

Check out our latest analysis for Hybio Pharmaceutical

What Does Hybio Pharmaceutical's Recent Performance Look Like?

For instance, Hybio Pharmaceutical's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the company to still outplay most other companies over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from collapsing. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

How Is Hybio Pharmaceutical's Revenue Growth Trending?

Hybio Pharmaceutical's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver very strong growth, and importantly, perform much better than the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 24%. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 23% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 35% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

In light of this, it's alarming that Hybio Pharmaceutical's P/S sits above the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

The Bottom Line On Hybio Pharmaceutical's P/S

Hybio Pharmaceutical's shares may have suffered, but its P/S remains high. 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 Hybio Pharmaceutical revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term isn't resulting in a P/S as low as we expected, given the industry is set to grow. With a revenue decline on investors' minds, the likelihood of a souring sentiment is quite high which could send the P/S back in line with what we'd expect. Unless the the circumstances surrounding the recent medium-term improve, it wouldn't be wrong to expect a a difficult period ahead for the company's shareholders.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 2 warning signs for Hybio Pharmaceutical that we have uncovered.

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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