Some Confidence Is Lacking In China HK Power Smart Energy Group Limited (HKG:931) As Shares Slide 25%

To the annoyance of some shareholders, China HK Power Smart Energy Group Limited (HKG:931) shares are down a considerable 25% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. Instead of being rewarded, shareholders who have already held through the last twelve months are now sitting on a 43% share price drop.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, you could still be forgiven for thinking China HK Power Smart Energy Group is a stock to steer clear of with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 2.8x, considering almost half the companies in Hong Kong's Oil and Gas industry have P/S ratios below 0.7x. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/S.

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See our latest analysis for China HK Power Smart Energy Group

What Does China HK Power Smart Energy Group's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

With revenue growth that's exceedingly strong of late, China HK Power Smart Energy Group has been doing very well. It seems that many are expecting the strong revenue performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little nervous about the viability of the share price.

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

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the industry for P/S ratios like China HK Power Smart Energy Group's to be considered reasonable.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 173% gain to the company's top line. Despite this strong recent growth, it's still struggling to catch up as its three-year revenue frustratingly shrank by 26% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenues over that time.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 1.0% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that China HK Power Smart Energy Group's P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. Apparently many investors in the company are way more bullish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock at any price. There's a very good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

What Does China HK Power Smart Energy Group's P/S Mean For Investors?

China HK Power Smart Energy Group's shares may have suffered, but its P/S remains high. Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

Our examination of China HK Power Smart Energy Group revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term isn't resulting in a P/S as low as we expected, given the industry is set to grow. When we see revenue heading backwards and underperforming the industry forecasts, we feel the possibility of the share price declining is very real, bringing the P/S back into the realm of reasonability. Should recent medium-term revenue trends persist, it would pose a significant risk to existing shareholders' investments and prospective investors will have a hard time accepting the current value of the stock.

It is also worth noting that we have found 2 warning signs for China HK Power Smart Energy Group (1 can't be ignored!) that you need to take into consideration.

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on China HK Power Smart Energy Group, explore our interactive list of high quality stocks to get an idea of what else is out there.

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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.