To the annoyance of some shareholders, SingAsia Holdings Limited (HKG:8293) shares are down a considerable 29% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 86% share price decline.
Although its price has dipped substantially, there still wouldn't be many who think SingAsia Holdings' price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.1x is worth a mention when the median P/S in Hong Kong's Professional Services industry is similar at about 0.4x. 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.
How SingAsia Holdings Has Been Performing
For example, consider that SingAsia Holdings' financial performance has been pretty ordinary lately as revenue growth is non-existent. It might be that many expect the uninspiring revenue performance to only match most other companies at best over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from rising. If not, then existing shareholders may be feeling hopeful about the future direction of the share price.
Although there are no analyst estimates available for SingAsia Holdings, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.How Is SingAsia Holdings' Revenue Growth Trending?
The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like SingAsia Holdings' is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.
Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's top line as the year before. Although pleasingly revenue has lifted 130% in aggregate from three years ago, notwithstanding the last 12 months. So while the company has done a solid job in the past, it's somewhat concerning to see revenue growth decline as much as it has.
Comparing that to the industry, which is only predicted to deliver 11% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is stronger based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.
With this information, we find it interesting that SingAsia Holdings is trading at a fairly similar P/S compared to the industry. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.
What Does SingAsia Holdings' P/S Mean For Investors?
SingAsia Holdings' plummeting stock price has brought its P/S back to a similar region as the rest of the industry. We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.
We didn't quite envision SingAsia Holdings' P/S sitting in line with the wider industry, considering the revenue growth over the last three-year is higher than the current industry outlook. There could be some unobserved threats to revenue preventing the P/S ratio from matching this positive performance. It appears some are indeed anticipating revenue instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions would normally provide a boost to the share price.
Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 3 warning signs for SingAsia Holdings that you should be aware of.
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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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.