Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002471) shareholders have had their patience rewarded with a 36% share price jump in the last month. Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 12% over that time.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding 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 Electrical industry in China have P/S ratios greater than 2.4x and even P/S higher than 5x aren't out of the ordinary. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's limited.

What Does Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

For example, consider that Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding's financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. It might be that many expect the disappointing revenue performance to continue or accelerate, which has repressed the P/S. Those who are bullish on Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding will be hoping that this isn't the case so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

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

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

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 5.8%. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 3.0% in total over the last three years. 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 23% shows it's an unpleasant look.

In light of this, it's understandable that Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding's P/S would sit below the majority of other companies. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.

The Final Word

The latest share price surge wasn't enough to lift Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding's P/S close to the industry median. While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.

As we suspected, our examination of Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term is contributing to its low P/S, given the industry is set to grow. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises either. Given the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that the share price will experience any significant movement in either direction in the near future if recent medium-term revenue trends persist.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 3 warning signs for Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding (1 can't be ignored!) that we have uncovered.

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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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.