BAIYU Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BYU) shareholders are no doubt pleased to see that the share price has bounced 41% in the last month, although it is still struggling to make up recently lost ground. But the last month did very little to improve the 97% share price decline over the last year.

Even after such a large jump in price, when close to half the companies operating in the United States' Trade Distributors industry have price-to-sales ratios (or "P/S") above 1.3x, you may still consider BAIYU Holdings as an enticing stock to check out with its 0.3x P/S ratio. Nonetheless, we'd need to dig a little deeper to determine if there is a rational basis for the reduced P/S.

How Has BAIYU Holdings Performed Recently?

As an illustration, revenue has deteriorated at BAIYU Holdings over the last year, which is not ideal at all. It might be that many expect the disappointing revenue performance to continue or accelerate, which has repressed the P/S. However, if this doesn't eventuate then existing shareholders may be feeling optimistic about the future direction of the share price.

What Are Revenue Growth Metrics Telling Us About The Low P/S?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, BAIYU Holdings would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the industry.

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 39%. The latest three year period has seen an incredible overall rise in revenue, a stark contrast to the last 12 months. Accordingly, shareholders will be pleased, but also have some serious questions to ponder about the last 12 months.

When compared to the industry's one-year growth forecast of 4.9%, the most recent medium-term revenue trajectory is noticeably more alluring

In light of this, it's peculiar that BAIYU Holdings' P/S sits below the majority of other companies. Apparently some shareholders believe the recent performance has exceeded its limits and have been accepting significantly lower selling prices.

The Key Takeaway

BAIYU Holdings' stock price has surged recently, but its but its P/S still remains modest. Using the price-to-sales ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

Our examination of BAIYU Holdings revealed its three-year revenue trends aren't boosting its P/S anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given they look better than current industry expectations. When we see strong revenue with faster-than-industry growth, we assume there are some significant underlying risks to the company's ability to make money which is applying downwards pressure on the P/S ratio. It appears many are indeed anticipating revenue instability, because the persistence of these recent medium-term conditions would normally provide a boost to the share price.

Plus, you should also learn about these 3 warning signs we've spotted with BAIYU Holdings (including 2 which are a bit unpleasant).

If companies with solid past earnings growth is up your alley, you may wish to see this free collection of other companies with strong earnings growth and low P/E ratios.

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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.