Summi (Group) Holdings Limited (HKG:756) shareholders won't be pleased to see that the share price has had a very rough month, dropping 28% and undoing the prior period's positive performance. Longer-term shareholders would now have taken a real hit with the stock declining 3.9% in the last year.

Even after such a large drop in price, given around half the companies in Hong Kong's Food industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") below 0.5x, you may still consider Summi (Group) Holdings as a stock to avoid entirely with its 2.9x 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 so lofty.

Check out our latest analysis for Summi (Group) Holdings

How Has Summi (Group) Holdings Performed Recently?

With revenue growth that's exceedingly strong of late, Summi (Group) Holdings has been doing very well. The P/S ratio is probably high because investors think this strong revenue growth will be enough to outperform the broader industry in the near future. If not, then existing shareholders might be a little 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 Summi (Group) Holdings' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

How Is Summi (Group) Holdings' Revenue Growth Trending?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/S as steep as Summi (Group) Holdings' is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the industry decidedly.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, we see the company's revenues grew exponentially. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen the company endure a nasty 27% drop in revenue in aggregate. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been undesirable for the company.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 5.6% 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 Summi (Group) Holdings is trading at a P/S higher than the industry. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. 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 Final Word

Summi (Group) Holdings' shares may have suffered, but its P/S remains high. We'd say the price-to-sales ratio's power isn't primarily as a valuation instrument but rather to gauge current investor sentiment and future expectations.

We've established that Summi (Group) Holdings currently trades on a much higher than expected P/S since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term. Right now we aren't comfortable with the high P/S as this revenue performance is highly unlikely to support such positive sentiment for long. Unless the recent medium-term conditions improve markedly, investors will have a hard time accepting the share price as fair value.

It's always necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with Summi (Group) Holdings (at least 2 which are concerning), and understanding these should be part of your investment process.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.