When you see that almost half of the companies in the Retail Distributors industry in Hong Kong have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.6x, International Genius Company (HKG:33) looks to be giving off strong sell signals with its 7.5x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the highly elevated P/S.

See our latest analysis for International Genius

How International Genius Has Been Performing

For instance, International Genius' receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. It might be that many expect the company to still outplay most other companies over the coming period, which has kept the P/S from collapsing. If not, then existing shareholders may be quite nervous about the viability of the share price.

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

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For International Genius?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the industry for P/S ratios like International Genius' to be considered reasonable.

In reviewing the last year of financials, we were disheartened to see the company's revenues fell to the tune of 32%. This has erased any of its gains during the last three years, with practically no change in revenue being achieved in total. Therefore, it's fair to say that revenue growth has been inconsistent recently for the company.

Comparing the recent medium-term revenue trends against the industry's one-year growth forecast of 23% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

In light of this, it's alarming that International Genius' P/S sits above the majority of other companies. 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. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh heavily on the share price eventually.

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.

The fact that International Genius currently trades on a higher P/S relative to the industry is an oddity, since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider industry forecast. When we see slower than industry revenue growth but an elevated P/S, there's considerable risk of the share price declining, sending the P/S lower. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, it's very challenging to accept these the share price as being reasonable.

Having said that, be aware International Genius is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis, you should know about.

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.

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