Little Excitement Around Directel Holdings Limited's (HKG:8337) Revenues As Shares Take 27% Pounding

The Directel Holdings Limited (HKG:8337) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 27%. Still, a bad month hasn't completely ruined the past year with the stock gaining 54%, which is great even in a bull market.

After such a large drop in price, it would be understandable if you think Directel Holdings is a stock with good investment prospects with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 0.3x, considering almost half the companies in Hong Kong's Wireless Telecom industry have P/S ratios above 1.4x. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

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See our latest analysis for Directel Holdings

How Directel Holdings Has Been Performing

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Directel Holdings over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the disappointing revenue performance to continue or accelerate, which has repressed the P/S. However, if this doesn't eventuate then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

How Is Directel Holdings' Revenue Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should underperform the industry for P/S ratios like Directel Holdings' to be considered reasonable.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 36%. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 35% overall. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Weighing that medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 6.0% shows it's an unpleasant look.

With this information, we are not surprised that Directel Holdings is trading at a P/S lower than the industry. Nonetheless, there's no guarantee the P/S has reached a floor yet with revenue going in reverse. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.

The Final Word

Directel Holdings' 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.

It's no surprise that Directel Holdings maintains its low P/S off the back of its sliding revenue over the medium-term. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises either. 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.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with Directel Holdings.

If you're unsure about the strength of Directel Holdings' 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.