Sipai Health Technology Co., Ltd.'s (HKG:314) Shares Climb 25% But Its Business Is Yet to Catch Up

The Sipai Health Technology Co., Ltd. (HKG:314) share price has done very well over the last month, posting an excellent gain of 25%. The bad news is that even after the stocks recovery in the last 30 days, shareholders are still underwater by about 2.4% over the last year.

In spite of the firm bounce in price, there still wouldn't be many who think Sipai Health Technology's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.9x is worth a mention when the median P/S in Hong Kong's Consumer Retailing industry is similar at about 0.6x. 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.

This technology could replace computers: discover the 20 stocks are working to make quantum computing a reality.

See our latest analysis for Sipai Health Technology

How Has Sipai Health Technology Performed Recently?

Sipai Health Technology could be doing better as its revenue has been going backwards lately while most other companies have been seeing positive revenue growth. One possibility is that the P/S ratio is moderate because investors think this poor revenue performance will turn around. However, if this isn't the case, investors might get caught out paying too much for the stock.

Keen to find out how analysts think Sipai Health Technology's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

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

The only time you'd be comfortable seeing a P/S like Sipai Health Technology's is when the company's growth is tracking the industry closely.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 3.1%. However, a few very strong years before that means that it was still able to grow revenue by an impressive 31% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, while they would have preferred to keep the run going, shareholders would definitely welcome the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Looking ahead now, revenue is anticipated to climb by 6.8% per year during the coming three years according to the one analyst following the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 12% per year, which is noticeably more attractive.

In light of this, it's curious that Sipai Health Technology's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as this level of revenue growth is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

What We Can Learn From Sipai Health Technology's P/S?

Sipai Health Technology appears to be back in favour with a solid price jump bringing its P/S back in line with other companies in the industry 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.

Given that Sipai Health Technology's revenue growth projections are relatively subdued in comparison to the wider industry, it comes as a surprise to see it trading at its current P/S ratio. When we see companies with a relatively weaker revenue outlook compared to the industry, we suspect the share price is at risk of declining, sending the moderate P/S lower. Circumstances like this present a risk to current and prospective investors who may see share prices fall if the low revenue growth impacts the sentiment.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Sipai Health Technology that you should be aware of.

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.