China New Consumption Group Limited (HKG:8275) shares have retraced a considerable 43% in the last month, reversing a fair amount of their solid recent performance. Instead of being rewarded, shareholders who have already held through the last twelve months are now sitting on a 49% share price drop.

Although its price has dipped substantially, there still wouldn't be many who think China New Consumption Group's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.3x is worth a mention when it essentially matches the median P/S in Hong Kong's Construction industry. However, investors might be overlooking a clear opportunity or potential setback if there is no rational basis for the P/S.

View our latest analysis for China New Consumption Group

How China New Consumption Group Has Been Performing

Recent times have been quite advantageous for China New Consumption Group as its revenue has been rising very briskly. It might be that many expect the strong revenue performance to wane, which has kept the share price, and thus the P/S ratio, from rising. If that doesn't eventuate, then existing shareholders have reason to be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on China New Consumption Group will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Is There Some Revenue Growth Forecasted For China New Consumption Group?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, China New Consumption Group 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 36% last year. As a result, it also grew revenue by 19% in total over the last three years. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Comparing the recent medium-term revenue trends against the industry's one-year growth forecast of 9.4% shows it's noticeably less attractive.

With this in mind, we find it intriguing that China New Consumption Group's P/S is comparable to that of its industry peers. It seems most investors are ignoring the fairly limited recent growth rates and are willing to pay up for exposure to the stock. Maintaining these prices will be difficult to achieve as a continuation of recent revenue trends is likely to weigh down the shares eventually.

The Bottom Line On China New Consumption Group's P/S

Following China New Consumption Group's share price tumble, its P/S is just clinging on to the industry median P/S. Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-sales ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

We've established that China New Consumption Group's average P/S is a bit surprising since its recent three-year growth is lower than the wider industry forecast. Right now we are uncomfortable with the P/S as this revenue performance isn't likely to support a more positive sentiment for long. Unless there is a significant improvement in the company's medium-term performance, it will be difficult to prevent the P/S ratio from declining to a more reasonable level.

Having said that, be aware China New Consumption Group is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis, and 2 of those shouldn't be ignored.

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.