Sheen Tai Holdings Group Company Limited (HKG:1335) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 77% after a shaky period beforehand. Looking further back, the 12% rise over the last twelve months isn't too bad notwithstanding the strength over the last 30 days.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, there still wouldn't be many who think Sheen Tai Holdings Group's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.5x is worth a mention when the median P/S in Hong Kong's Packaging industry is similar at about 0.8x. 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 Sheen Tai Holdings Group

What Does Sheen Tai Holdings Group's Recent Performance Look Like?

Recent times have been quite advantageous for Sheen Tai Holdings Group as its revenue has been rising very briskly. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to taper off, which has kept the P/S from rising. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

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

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Sheen Tai Holdings Group would need to produce growth that's similar to the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 153% last year. Although, its longer-term performance hasn't been as strong with three-year revenue growth being relatively non-existent overall. So it appears to us that the company has had a mixed result in terms of growing revenue over that time.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 16% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

With this in mind, we find it intriguing that Sheen Tai Holdings Group's P/S is comparable to that of its industry peers. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Bottom Line On Sheen Tai Holdings Group's P/S

Sheen Tai Holdings Group's stock has a lot of momentum behind it lately, which has brought its P/S level with the rest of the industry. While the price-to-sales ratio shouldn't be the defining factor in whether you buy a stock or not, it's quite a capable barometer of revenue expectations.

We've established that Sheen Tai Holdings Group's average P/S is a bit surprising since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider industry forecast. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/S as this revenue performance isn't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless there is a significant improvement in the company's medium-term performance, it will be difficult to prevent the P/S ratio from declining to a more reasonable level.

You need to take note of risks, for example - Sheen Tai Holdings Group has 3 warning signs (and 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) we think you should know about.

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).

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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.