You may think that with a price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.3x Althea Group Holdings Limited (ASX:AGH) is definitely a stock worth checking out, seeing as almost half of all the Pharmaceuticals companies in Australia have P/S ratios greater than 9.1x and even P/S above 28x aren't out of the ordinary. However, the P/S might be quite low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

We've found 21 US stocks that are forecast to pay a dividend yield of over 6% next year. See the full list for free.

View our latest analysis for Althea Group Holdings

How Althea Group Holdings Has Been Performing

The recent revenue growth at Althea Group Holdings would have to be considered satisfactory if not spectacular. Perhaps the market believes the recent revenue performance might fall short of industry figures in the near future, leading to a reduced P/S. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

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

How Is Althea Group Holdings' Revenue Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should far underperform the industry for P/S ratios like Althea Group Holdings' to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 6.6%. This was backed up an excellent period prior to see revenue up by 77% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the revenue growth recently has been superb for the company.

Comparing that to the industry, which is predicted to deliver 645% growth in the next 12 months, the company's momentum is weaker, based on recent medium-term annualised revenue results.

In light of this, it's understandable that Althea Group Holdings' P/S sits below the majority of other companies. It seems most investors are expecting to see the recent limited growth rates continue into the future and are only willing to pay a reduced amount for the stock.

What Does Althea Group Holdings' P/S Mean For Investors?

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 examination of Althea Group Holdings confirms that the company's revenue trends over the past three-year years are a key factor in its low price-to-sales ratio, as we suspected, given they fall short of current industry expectations. At this stage investors feel the potential for an improvement in revenue isn't great enough to justify a higher P/S ratio. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it's hard to see the share price experience a reversal of fortunes anytime soon.

Plus, you should also learn about these 4 warning signs we've spotted with Althea Group Holdings (including 3 which are significant).

Of course, profitable companies with a history of great earnings growth are generally safer bets. So you may wish to see this free collection of other companies that have reasonable P/E ratios and have grown earnings strongly.

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.