Some Confidence Is Lacking In Geotech Holdings Ltd. (HKG:1707) As Shares Slide 46%

The Geotech Holdings Ltd. (HKG:1707) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 46%. The recent drop has obliterated the annual return, with the share price now down 4.8% over that longer period.

Although its price has dipped substantially, you could still be forgiven for thinking Geotech Holdings is a stock not worth researching with a price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") of 0.9x, considering almost half the companies in Hong Kong's Construction industry have P/S ratios below 0.4x. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's as high as it is.

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See our latest analysis for Geotech Holdings

What Does Geotech Holdings' P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Geotech Holdings has been doing a decent job lately as it's been growing revenue at a reasonable pace. It might be that many expect the reasonable revenue performance to beat most other companies over the coming period, which has increased investors’ willingness to pay up for the stock. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The High P/S Ratio?

Geotech Holdings' P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's expected to deliver solid growth, and importantly, perform better than the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 4.0%. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen an unpleasant 70% overall drop in revenue. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 19% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

With this information, we find it concerning that Geotech Holdings is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. 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. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

What Does Geotech Holdings' P/S Mean For Investors?

Geotech Holdings' P/S remain high even after its stock plunged. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-sales ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

We've established that Geotech Holdings currently trades on a much higher than expected P/S since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term. Right now we aren't comfortable with the high P/S as this revenue performance is highly unlikely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless the the circumstances surrounding the recent medium-term improve, it wouldn't be wrong to expect a a difficult period ahead for the company's shareholders.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with Geotech Holdings (including 1 which is significant).

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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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.