The Hanison Construction Holdings Limited (HKG:896) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 31%. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 60% share price decline.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, it's still not a stretch to say that Hanison Construction Holdings' price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.2x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the Construction industry in Hong Kong, where the median P/S ratio is around 0.3x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

What Does Hanison Construction Holdings' Recent Performance Look Like?

Hanison Construction Holdings certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing its revenue at a really rapid pace. The P/S is probably moderate because investors think this strong revenue growth might not be enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

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

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Hanison Construction Holdings would need to produce growth that's similar to the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 46%. As a result, it also grew revenue by 29% in total over the last three years. So we can start by confirming that the company has actually done a good job of growing revenue over that time.

Weighing that recent medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 9.4% shows it's about the same on an annualised basis.

With this in consideration, it's clear to see why Hanison Construction Holdings' P/S matches up closely to its industry peers. Apparently shareholders are comfortable to simply hold on assuming the company will continue keeping a low profile.

What We Can Learn From Hanison Construction Holdings' P/S?

Following Hanison Construction Holdings' share price tumble, its P/S is just clinging on to the industry median P/S. 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.

It appears to us that Hanison Construction Holdings maintains its moderate P/S off the back of its recent three-year growth being in line with the wider industry forecast. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/S as they are quite confident future revenue won't throw up any surprises. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future under these circumstances.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Hanison Construction Holdings (2 shouldn't be ignored) 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.