The FingerTango Inc. (HKG:6860) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 37%. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 12% in the last twelve months.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, FingerTango may still be sending bullish signals at the moment with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.3x, since almost half of all companies in the Entertainment industry in Hong Kong have P/S ratios greater than 1.8x and even P/S higher than 4x are not unusual. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

How Has FingerTango Performed Recently?

Revenue has risen at a steady rate over the last year for FingerTango, which is generally not a bad outcome. It might be that many expect the respectable revenue performance to degrade, which has repressed the P/S. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders may have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

How Is FingerTango's Revenue Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, FingerTango would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 3.9%. Ultimately though, it couldn't turn around the poor performance of the prior period, with revenue shrinking 21% in total over the last three years. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 45% 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 FingerTango'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. 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

FingerTango's stock price has surged recently, but its but its P/S still remains modest. 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.

As we suspected, our examination of FingerTango revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term is contributing to its low P/S, given the industry is set to grow. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. Given the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that the share price will experience any significant movement in either direction in the near future if recent medium-term revenue trends persist.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with FingerTango (at least 1 which is concerning), and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.