HAXC Holdings (Beijing) Co., Ltd.'s (SZSE:300928) Share Price Could Signal Some Risk

When close to half the companies in the Auto Components industry in China have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 1.9x, you may consider HAXC Holdings (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (SZSE:300928) as a stock to potentially avoid with its 2.9x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the elevated P/S.

See our latest analysis for HAXC Holdings (Beijing)

What Does HAXC Holdings (Beijing)'s P/S Mean For Shareholders?

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at HAXC Holdings (Beijing) over the last year, which is not ideal at all. One possibility is that the P/S is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders may be quite nervous about the viability of the share price.

We don't have analyst forecasts, but you can see how recent trends are setting up the company for the future by checking out our free report on HAXC Holdings (Beijing)'s earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The High P/S Ratio?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as high as HAXC Holdings (Beijing)'s is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 16% decrease to the company's top line. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 2.5% overall. 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 23% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

With this information, we find it concerning that HAXC Holdings (Beijing) 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 We Can Learn From HAXC Holdings (Beijing)'s P/S?

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 HAXC Holdings (Beijing) currently trades on a much higher than expected P/S since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term. With a revenue decline on investors' minds, the likelihood of a souring sentiment is quite high which could send the P/S back in line with what we'd expect. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at significant risk and potential investors in danger of paying an excessive premium.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with HAXC Holdings (Beijing) (including 1 which is a bit unpleasant).

If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.