Henderson Investment Limited (HKG:97) shares have had a really impressive month, gaining 30% after a shaky period beforehand. Notwithstanding the latest gain, the annual share price return of 9.1% isn't as impressive.

Even after such a large jump in price, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Henderson Investment's P/S ratio of 0.2x, since the median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio for the Multiline Retail industry in Hong Kong is also close to 0.3x. Although, it's not wise to simply ignore the P/S without explanation as investors may be disregarding a distinct opportunity or a costly mistake.

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Check out our latest analysis for Henderson Investment

What Does Henderson Investment's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

For example, consider that Henderson Investment's financial performance has been poor lately as its revenue has been in decline. 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 not, then existing shareholders may 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 Henderson Investment's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For Henderson Investment?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the industry for P/S ratios like Henderson Investment's to be considered reasonable.

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 1.0%. This means it has also seen a slide in revenue over the longer-term as revenue is down 13% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 9.8% growth in the next 12 months, the company's downward momentum based on recent medium-term revenue results is a sobering picture.

With this in mind, we find it worrying that Henderson Investment's P/S exceeds that of its industry peers. Apparently many investors in the company are way less bearish than recent times would indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. Only the boldest would assume these prices are sustainable as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh on the share price eventually.

What Does Henderson Investment's P/S Mean For Investors?

Henderson Investment appears to be back in favour with a solid price jump bringing its P/S back in line with other companies in the industry 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 find it unexpected that Henderson Investment trades at a P/S ratio that is comparable to the rest of the industry, despite experiencing declining revenues during the medium-term, while the industry as a whole is expected to grow. Even though it matches the industry, we're uncomfortable with the current P/S ratio, as this dismal revenue performance is unlikely to support a more positive sentiment for long. 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.

There are also other vital risk factors to consider and we've discovered 3 warning signs for Henderson Investment (2 are concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

If strong companies turning a profit tickle your fancy, then you'll want to check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a low P/E (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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