Not Many Are Piling Into Central Development Holdings Limited (HKG:475) Just Yet

With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 0.7x in the Luxury industry in Hong Kong, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Central Development Holdings Limited's (HKG:475) P/S ratio of 1x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/S without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

View our latest analysis for Central Development Holdings

How Central Development Holdings Has Been Performing

For example, consider that Central Development Holdings' financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. It might be that many expect the company to put the disappointing revenue performance behind them over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from falling. If you like the company, you'd at least be hoping this is the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For Central Development Holdings?

Central Development Holdings' P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 9.1%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow revenue by an impressive 64% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would definitely welcome the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

When compared to the industry's one-year growth forecast of 16%, the most recent medium-term revenue trajectory is noticeably more alluring

In light of this, it's curious that Central Development Holdings' P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.

What We Can Learn From Central Development Holdings' 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.

We've established that Central Development Holdings currently trades on a lower than expected P/S since its recent three-year growth is higher than the wider industry forecast. It'd be fair to assume that potential risks the company faces could be the contributing factor to the lower than expected P/S. At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued if recent medium-term revenue trends continue, but investors seem to think future revenue could see some volatility.

Having said that, be aware Central Development Holdings is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable.

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).

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.