FDB Holdings Limited (HKG:1826) shares have continued their recent momentum with a 71% gain in the last month alone. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 21% in the last twelve months.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about FDB Holdings' P/S ratio of 0.5x, since the median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio for the Construction industry in Hong Kong is also close to 0.3x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

What Does FDB Holdings' Recent Performance Look Like?

For instance, FDB Holdings' receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing revenue performance behind them over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from falling. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The P/S?

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like FDB Holdings' is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.

Taking a look back first, the company's revenue growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 46%. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 53% in total over the last three years. 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 11% shows it's an unpleasant look.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that FDB Holdings' P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. Apparently many investors in the company are way less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. 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

FDB Holdings' stock has a lot of momentum behind it lately, which has brought its P/S level with the rest of the industry. 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.

The fact that FDB 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.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for FDB Holdings (3 are significant) you should be aware of.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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