Valhi, Inc. (NYSE:VHI) shares have had a horrible month, losing 28% after a relatively good period beforehand. Of course, over the longer-term many would still wish they owned shares as the stock's price has soared 102% in the last twelve months.

Since its price has dipped substantially, given about half the companies operating in the United States' Chemicals industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1.4x, you may consider Valhi as an attractive investment with its 0.4x P/S ratio. 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 Valhi's Recent Performance Look Like?

Valhi has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue at a solid pace. One possibility is that the P/S is low because investors think this respectable revenue growth might actually underperform the broader industry in the near future. Those who are bullish on Valhi 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?

Valhi's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a decent 11% gain to the company's revenues. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen an unpleasant 2.5% overall drop in revenue. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 3.0% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

In light of this, it's understandable that Valhi's P/S would sit below the majority of other companies. However, we think shrinking revenues are unlikely to lead to a stable P/S over the longer term, which could set up shareholders for future disappointment. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as recent revenue trends are already weighing down the shares.

The Final Word

Valhi's P/S has taken a dip along with its share price. 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.

Our examination of Valhi 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. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. 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.

It is also worth noting that we have found 3 warning signs for Valhi (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that you need to take into consideration.

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.