Benign Growth For Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002471) Underpins Stock's 28% Plummet

Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002471) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 28% share price drop in the last month. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 27% in that time.

Following the heavy fall in price, when close to half the companies operating in China's Electrical industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 2x, you may consider Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding as an enticing stock to check out with its 0.4x P/S ratio. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Check out our latest analysis for Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding

What Does Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding has been doing a decent job lately as it's been growing revenue at a reasonable pace. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is low because investors think this good revenue growth might actually underperform the broader industry in the near future. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders may have reason to be optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

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

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

Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver limited growth, and importantly, perform worse than the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 3.8% last year. Revenue has also lifted 9.5% in aggregate from three years ago, partly thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

This is in contrast to the rest of the industry, which is expected to grow by 23% over the next year, materially higher than the company's recent medium-term annualised growth rates.

In light of this, it's understandable that Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding's P/S sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

What Does Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding's P/S Mean For Investors?

Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding's recently weak share price has pulled its P/S back below other Electrical companies. Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

Our examination of Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding confirms that the company's revenue trends over the past three-year years are a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, as we suspected, given they fall short of current industry expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price experience a reversal of fortunes anytime soon.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with Jiangsu Zhongchao Holding (at least 1 which can't be ignored), and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.

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