With a median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of close to 0.7x in the Transportation industry in Hong Kong, you could be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Guangshen Railway Company Limited's (HKG:525) P/S ratio of 0.5x. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Guangshen Railway

How Has Guangshen Railway Performed Recently?

Recent times have been advantageous for Guangshen Railway as its revenues have been rising faster than most other companies. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to wane, which has kept the P/S ratio from rising. If not, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Keen to find out how analysts think Guangshen Railway's future stacks up against the industry? In that case, our free report is a great place to start.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, Guangshen Railway would need to produce growth that's similar to the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew revenue by an impressive 17% last year. Pleasingly, revenue has also lifted 44% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a great job of growing revenue over that time.

Turning to the outlook, the next year should generate growth of 4.1% as estimated by the five analysts watching the company. Meanwhile, the rest of the industry is forecast to expand by 6.3%, which is noticeably more attractive.

In light of this, it's curious that Guangshen Railway's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently many investors in the company are less bearish than analysts indicate and aren't willing to let go of their stock right now. These shareholders may be setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the growth outlook.

The Bottom Line On Guangshen Railway's P/S

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.

Our look at the analysts forecasts of Guangshen Railway's revenue prospects has shown that its inferior revenue outlook isn't negatively impacting its P/S as much as we would have predicted. At present, we aren't confident in the P/S as the predicted future revenues aren't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Circumstances like this present a risk to current and prospective investors who may see share prices fall if the low revenue growth impacts the sentiment.

Before you take the next step, you should know about the 1 warning sign for Guangshen Railway that we have uncovered.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So if growing profitability aligns with your idea of a great company, take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a low P/E).

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.