To the annoyance of some shareholders, Tesson Holdings Limited (HKG:1201) shares are down a considerable 29% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. Still, a bad month hasn't completely ruined the past year with the stock gaining 38%, which is great even in a bull market.

Although its price has dipped substantially, given around half the companies in Hong Kong's Electrical industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.4x, you may still consider Tesson Holdings as a stock to avoid entirely with its 3.5x 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Tesson Holdings

What Does Tesson Holdings' Recent Performance Look Like?

For example, consider that Tesson Holdings' financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. One possibility is that the P/S is high because investors think the company will still do enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

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 Tesson Holdings' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Enough Revenue Growth Forecasted For Tesson Holdings?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far outperform the industry for P/S ratios like Tesson Holdings' 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 15%. As a result, revenue from three years ago have also fallen 78% overall. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 19% 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 Tesson Holdings is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. 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.

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

A significant share price dive has done very little to deflate Tesson Holdings' very lofty P/S. It's argued the price-to-sales ratio is an inferior measure of value within certain industries, but it can be a powerful business sentiment indicator.

Our examination of Tesson Holdings 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. When we see revenue heading backwards and underperforming the industry forecasts, we feel the possibility of the share price declining is very real, bringing the P/S back into the realm of reasonability. 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.

Before you settle on your opinion, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Tesson Holdings (1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should be aware of.

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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