Shenzhen Zowee Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002369) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 27% share price drop in the last month. Instead of being rewarded, shareholders who have already held through the last twelve months are now sitting on a 30% share price drop.

After such a large drop in price, Shenzhen Zowee Technology may be sending very bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.1x, since almost half of all companies in the Communications industry in China have P/S ratios greater than 3.8x and even P/S higher than 7x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly reduced P/S.

How Shenzhen Zowee Technology Has Been Performing

It looks like revenue growth has deserted Shenzhen Zowee Technology recently, which is not something to boast about. Perhaps the market believes the recent lacklustre revenue performance is a sign of future underperformance relative to industry peers, hurting the P/S. Those who are bullish on Shenzhen Zowee Technology will be hoping that this isn't the case, so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as depressed as Shenzhen Zowee Technology's is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry decidedly.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered virtually the same number to the company's top line as the year before. The lack of growth did nothing to help the company's aggregate three-year performance, which is an unsavory 45% drop in revenue. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 50% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

In light of this, it's understandable that Shenzhen Zowee Technology's P/S would sit below the majority of other companies. However, we think shrinking revenues are unlikely to lead to a stable P/S over the longer term, which could set up shareholders for future disappointment. Even just maintaining these prices could be difficult to achieve as recent revenue trends are already weighing down the shares.

The Bottom Line On Shenzhen Zowee Technology's P/S

Shares in Shenzhen Zowee Technology have plummeted and its P/S has followed suit. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of Shenzhen Zowee Technology revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term is contributing to its low P/S, given the industry is set to grow. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises either. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve, they will continue to form a barrier for the share price around these levels.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 2 warning signs for Shenzhen Zowee Technology (1 is a bit unpleasant!) that we have uncovered.

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.