Take Care Before Jumping Onto Yunnan Energy International Co. Limited (HKG:1298) Even Though It's 29% Cheaper

The Yunnan Energy International Co. Limited (HKG:1298) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 29%. Indeed, the recent drop has reduced its annual gain to a relatively sedate 8.3% over the last twelve months.

Even after such a large drop in price, you could still be forgiven for feeling indifferent about Yunnan Energy International's P/S ratio of 0.4x, since the median price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio for the Healthcare industry in Hong Kong is also close to 0.9x. 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.

Check out our latest analysis for Yunnan Energy International

What Does Yunnan Energy International's Recent Performance Look Like?

Yunnan Energy International certainly has been doing a great job lately as it's been growing its revenue at a really rapid pace. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to taper off, which has kept the P/S from rising. 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 not quite in favour.

How Is Yunnan Energy International's Revenue Growth Trending?

Yunnan Energy International's P/S ratio would be typical for a company that's only expected to deliver moderate growth, and importantly, perform in line with the industry.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 61%. The latest three year period has also seen an incredible overall rise in revenue, aided by its incredible short-term performance. So we can start by confirming that the company has done a tremendous job of growing revenue over that time.

When compared to the industry's one-year growth forecast of 14%, the most recent medium-term revenue trajectory is noticeably more alluring

In light of this, it's curious that Yunnan Energy International's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. It may be that most investors are not convinced the company can maintain its recent growth rates.

What We Can Learn From Yunnan Energy International's P/S?

Following Yunnan Energy International's share price tumble, its P/S is just clinging on to the industry median 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.

To our surprise, Yunnan Energy International revealed its three-year revenue trends aren't contributing to its P/S as much as we would have predicted, given they look better than current industry expectations. It'd be fair to assume that potential risks the company faces could be the contributing factor to the lower than expected P/S. It appears some are indeed anticipating revenue instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions would normally provide a boost to the share price.

Don't forget that there may be other risks. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Yunnan Energy International (1 can't be ignored) you should be aware of.

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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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.