Positive Sentiment Still Eludes Kaixin Holdings (NASDAQ:KXIN) Following 26% Share Price Slump

To the annoyance of some shareholders, Kaixin Holdings (NASDAQ:KXIN) shares are down a considerable 26% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. For any long-term shareholders, the last month ends a year to forget by locking in a 97% share price decline.

Although its price has dipped substantially, there still wouldn't be many who think Kaixin Holdings' price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.2x is worth a mention when the median P/S in the United States' Specialty Retail industry is similar at about 0.4x. 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 Kaixin Holdings

What Does Kaixin Holdings' P/S Mean For Shareholders?

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at Kaixin Holdings over the last year, which is not ideal at all. Perhaps investors believe the recent revenue performance is enough to keep in line with the industry, which is keeping the P/S from dropping off. If you like the company, you'd at least be hoping this is the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

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

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

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Kaixin Holdings would need to produce growth that's similar to 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 62%. Spectacularly, three year revenue growth has ballooned by several orders of magnitude, despite the drawbacks experienced in the last 12 months. Accordingly, shareholders will be pleased, but also have some serious questions to ponder about the last 12 months.

When compared to the industry's one-year growth forecast of 3.7%, the most recent medium-term revenue trajectory is noticeably more alluring

In light of this, it's curious that Kaixin Holdings' P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.

What Does Kaixin Holdings' P/S Mean For Investors?

Following Kaixin Holdings' share price tumble, its P/S is just clinging on to the industry median P/S. Typically, we'd caution against reading too much into price-to-sales ratios when settling on investment decisions, though it can reveal plenty about what other market participants think about the company.

We've established that Kaixin Holdings currently trades on a lower than expected P/S since its recent three-year growth is higher than the wider industry forecast. There could be some unobserved threats to revenue preventing the P/S ratio from matching this positive performance. It appears some are indeed anticipating revenue instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions would normally provide a boost to the share price.

Plus, you should also learn about these 4 warning signs we've spotted with Kaixin Holdings (including 3 which are concerning).

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.