What Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings Limited's (HKG:8052) 32% Share Price Gain Is Not Telling You

Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings Limited (HKG:8052) shareholders would be excited to see that the share price has had a great month, posting a 32% gain and recovering from prior weakness. Not all shareholders will be feeling jubilant, since the share price is still down a very disappointing 26% in the last twelve months.

Although its price has surged higher, there still wouldn't be many who think Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings' price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.3x is worth a mention when the median P/S in Hong Kong's Hospitality industry is similar at about 0.7x. While this might not raise any eyebrows, if the P/S ratio is not justified investors could be missing out on a potential opportunity or ignoring looming disappointment.

View our latest analysis for Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings

How Has Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings Performed Recently?

The recent revenue growth at Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings would have to be considered satisfactory if not spectacular. It might be that many expect the respectable revenue performance to only match most other companies over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from rising. If not, then at least existing shareholders probably aren't too pessimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Although there are no analyst estimates available for Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings would need to produce growth that's similar to the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 6.1% last year. Ultimately though, it couldn't turn around the poor performance of the prior period, with revenue shrinking 54% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 15% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

With this information, we find it concerning that Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings is trading at a fairly similar P/S compared to the industry. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

What We Can Learn From Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings' P/S?

Its shares have lifted substantially and now Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings' P/S is back within range of the industry median. 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.

The fact that Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings currently trades at a P/S on par with the rest of the industry is surprising to us since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term, all while the industry is set to grow. Even though it matches the industry, we're uncomfortable with the current P/S ratio, as this dismal revenue performance is unlikely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, investors will have a hard time accepting the share price as fair value.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 5 warning signs for Luk Hing Entertainment Group Holdings you should be aware of, and 3 of them are concerning.

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.