China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding Company Limited (HKG:798) shareholders that were waiting for something to happen have been dealt a blow with a 25% share price drop in the last month. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 42% in that time.

Although its price has dipped substantially, it's still not a stretch to say that China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.4x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the Real Estate industry in Hong Kong, where the median P/S ratio is around 0.6x. 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.

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View our latest analysis for China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding

How China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding Has Been Performing

For instance, China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding's receding revenue in recent times would have to be some food for thought. One possibility is that the P/S is moderate because investors think the company might still do enough to be in line with the broader industry in the near future. 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.

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How Is China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding's Revenue Growth Trending?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding 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 31%. The last three years don't look nice either as the company has shrunk revenue by 21% in aggregate. So unfortunately, we have to acknowledge that the company has not done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Weighing that medium-term revenue trajectory against the broader industry's one-year forecast for expansion of 7.0% shows it's an unpleasant look.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding's P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. 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 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 Key Takeaway

Following China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding's 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.

The fact that China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding currently trades at a P/S on par with the rest of the industry is surprising to us since its recent revenues have been in decline over the medium-term, all while the industry is set to grow. When we see revenue heading backwards in the context of growing industry forecasts, it'd make sense to expect a possible share price decline on the horizon, sending the moderate P/S lower. 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.

You need to take note of risks, for example - China Electronics Optics Valley Union Holding has 3 warning signs (and 2 which can't be ignored) we think you should know about.

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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.