Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering Company Limited's (HKG:8189) Shares May Have Run Too Fast Too Soon

When close to half the companies in the Chemicals industry in Hong Kong have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.5x, you may consider Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering Company Limited (HKG:8189) as a stock to potentially avoid with its 1.5x P/S ratio. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/S at face value as there may be an explanation why it's as high as it is.

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Check out our latest analysis for Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering

How Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering Has Been Performing

For instance, Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. Perhaps the market believes the company can do enough to outperform the rest of the industry in the near future, which is keeping the P/S ratio high. 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 Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Is Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering's Revenue Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering would need to produce impressive growth in excess of the industry.

Taking a look back first, the company's revenue growth last year wasn't something to get excited about as it posted a disappointing decline of 5.5%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk revenue by 9.0% in aggregate. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 17% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering's P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. 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. There's a very 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.

The Key Takeaway

Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

Our examination of Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering revealed its shrinking revenue over the medium-term isn't resulting in a P/S as low as we expected, given the industry is set to grow. 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. Unless the the circumstances surrounding the recent medium-term improve, it wouldn't be wrong to expect a a difficult period ahead for the company's shareholders.

And what about other risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering (of which 1 is a bit concerning!) you should know about.

If you're unsure about the strength of Tianjin TEDA Biomedical Engineering's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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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.