Many Still Looking Away From ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance Co., Ltd. (HKG:6060)

There wouldn't be many who think ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance Co., Ltd.'s (HKG:6060) price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.6x is worth a mention when the median P/S for the Insurance industry in Hong Kong is similar at about 0.5x. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

See our latest analysis for ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance

How ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance Has Been Performing

ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance could be doing better as it's been growing revenue less than most other companies lately. It might be that many expect the uninspiring revenue performance to strengthen positively, which has kept the P/S ratio from falling. If not, then existing shareholders may be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

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

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance's is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 22%. The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 60% overall rise in revenue, aided by its short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the eleven analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 9.6% each year over the next three years. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to only expand by 1.8% each year, which is noticeably less attractive.

With this in consideration, we find it intriguing that ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance's P/S is closely matching its industry peers. Apparently some shareholders are skeptical of the forecasts and have been accepting lower selling prices.

What We Can Learn From ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance's P/S?

We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

Looking at ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance's analyst forecasts revealed that its superior revenue outlook isn't giving the boost to its P/S that we would've expected. Perhaps uncertainty in the revenue forecasts are what's keeping the P/S ratio consistent with the rest of the industry. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued, but investors seem to think future revenue could see some volatility.

Having said that, be aware ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of ZhongAn Online P & C Insurance'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.