Revenues Working Against 36Kr Holdings Inc.'s (NASDAQ:KRKR) Share Price Following 28% Dive

36Kr Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:KRKR) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 28% share price drop in the last month. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 76% share price decline.

Following the heavy fall in price, 36Kr Holdings may be sending buy signals at present with its price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.2x, considering almost half of all companies in the Interactive Media and Services industry in the United States have P/S ratios greater than 1.2x and even P/S higher than 4x aren't out of the ordinary. However, the P/S might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

See our latest analysis for 36Kr Holdings

What Does 36Kr Holdings' P/S Mean For Shareholders?

For instance, 36Kr Holdings' receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. Perhaps the market believes the recent revenue performance isn't good enough to keep up the industry, causing the P/S ratio to suffer. Those who are bullish on 36Kr Holdings will be hoping that this isn't the case so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on 36Kr Holdings will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The Low P/S Ratio?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as low as 36Kr Holdings' is when the company's growth is on track to lag the industry.

Retrospectively, the last year delivered a frustrating 8.6% decrease to the company's top line. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 16% 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 13% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

In light of this, it's understandable that 36Kr Holdings' P/S would sit below the majority of other companies. However, we think shrinking revenues are unlikely to lead to a stable P/S over the longer term, which could set up shareholders for future disappointment. There's potential for the P/S to fall to even lower levels if the company doesn't improve its top-line growth.

The Key Takeaway

The southerly movements of 36Kr Holdings' shares means its P/S is now sitting at a pretty low level. 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.

It's no surprise that 36Kr Holdings maintains its low P/S off the back of its sliding revenue over the medium-term. Right now shareholders are accepting the low P/S as they concede future revenue probably won't provide any pleasant surprises either. Given the current circumstances, it seems unlikely that the share price will experience any significant movement in either direction in the near future if recent medium-term revenue trends persist.

You need to take note of risks, for example - 36Kr Holdings has 2 warning signs (and 1 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.

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.