HSC Resources Group Limited (HKG:1850) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 138% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground.    Unfortunately, the gains of the last month did little to right the losses of the last year with the stock still down 40% over that time.  

Even after such a large jump in price, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about HSC Resources Group's P/S ratio of 0.5x, since the median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio for the Commercial Services industry in Hong Kong is about the same.  However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.    

View our latest analysis for HSC Resources Group

SEHK:1850 Price to Sales Ratio vs Industry December 25th 2023

What Does HSC Resources Group's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

The revenue growth achieved at HSC Resources Group over the last year would be more than acceptable for most companies.   It might be that many expect the respectable revenue performance to wane, 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.    

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on HSC Resources Group will help you shine a light on its historical performance.  

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?  

HSC Resources Group's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.  

Retrospectively, the last year delivered an exceptional 20% gain to the company's top line.   The latest three year period has also seen an excellent 82% overall rise in revenue, aided by its short-term performance.  Accordingly, shareholders would have definitely welcomed those medium-term rates of revenue growth.  

Comparing that to the industry, which is only predicted to deliver 9.9% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is stronger based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

In light of this, it's curious that HSC Resources Group's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies.  Apparently some shareholders believe the recent performance is at its limits and have been accepting lower selling prices.  

The Key Takeaway

HSC Resources Group appears to be back in favour with a solid price jump bringing its P/S back in line with other companies in 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 didn't quite envision HSC Resources Group's P/S sitting in line with the wider industry, considering the revenue growth over the last three-year is higher than the current industry outlook.  When we see strong revenue with faster-than-industry growth, we can only assume potential risks are what might be placing pressure on the P/S ratio.  At least the risk of a price drop looks to be subdued if recent medium-term revenue trends continue, but investors seem to think future revenue could see some volatility.    

We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 6 warning signs for HSC Resources Group (4 don't sit too well with us!) that you need to be mindful of.  

If these risks are making you reconsider your opinion on HSC Resources 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.