5i5j Holding Group Co., Ltd. (SZSE:000560) shareholders have had their patience rewarded with a 35% share price jump in the last month. Taking a wider view, although not as strong as the last month, the full year gain of 21% is also fairly reasonable.

Even after such a large jump in price, 5i5j Holding Group may still be sending buy signals at present with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.6x, considering almost half of all companies in the Real Estate industry in China have P/S ratios greater than 1.7x and even P/S higher than 4x aren't out of the ordinary. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

What Does 5i5j Holding Group's Recent Performance Look Like?

For example, consider that 5i5j Holding Group's financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. One possibility is that the P/S is low because investors think the company won't do enough to avoid underperforming the broader industry in the near future. Those who are bullish on 5i5j Holding Group will be hoping that this isn't the case so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the industry for P/S ratios like 5i5j Holding Group's to be considered reasonable.

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 1.8%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk revenue by 1.1% in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

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 information, we are not surprised that 5i5j Holding Group is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as recent revenue trends are already weighing down the shares.

The Key Takeaway

Despite 5i5j Holding Group's share price climbing recently, its P/S still lags most other companies. 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.

Our examination of 5i5j Holding Group confirms that the company's shrinking revenue over the past medium-term is a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, given the industry is projected to grow. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises either. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for 5i5j Holding Group that you should be aware of.

If you're unsure about the strength of 5i5j Holding Group's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.