Ernest Borel Holdings Limited (HKG:1856) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 25% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 22% in the last twelve months.

Since its price has surged higher, you could be forgiven for thinking Ernest Borel Holdings is a stock to steer clear of with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 4.4x, considering almost half the companies in Hong Kong's Luxury industry have P/S ratios below 0.6x. However, the P/S might be quite high for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

What Does Ernest Borel Holdings' Recent Performance Look Like?

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Ernest Borel Holdings over the last year, which is not ideal at all. One possibility is that the P/S is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Ernest Borel Holdings?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as steep as Ernest Borel Holdings' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry decidedly.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 24% decrease to the company's top line. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 26% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 11% 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 Ernest Borel Holdings' P/S sits above the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. There's a very 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 Final Word

The strong share price surge has lead to Ernest Borel Holdings' P/S soaring as well. Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

We've established that Ernest Borel Holdings currently trades on a much higher than expected P/S since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term. 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.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 4 warning signs for Ernest Borel Holdings (1 can't be ignored) you should be aware of.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.