To the annoyance of some shareholders, Kuke Music Holding Limited (NYSE:KUKE) shares are down a considerable 56% in the last month, which continues a horrid run for the company. The recent drop completes a disastrous twelve months for shareholders, who are sitting on a 67% loss during that time.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, it's still not a stretch to say that Kuke Music Holding's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 1.2x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the Entertainment industry in the United States, where the median P/S ratio is around 1.4x. 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.

How Kuke Music Holding Has Been Performing

Kuke Music Holding has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing revenue at a solid pace. It might be that many expect the respectable revenue performance to wane, which has kept the P/S from rising. Those who are bullish on Kuke Music Holding will be hoping that this isn't the case, so that they can pick up the stock at a lower valuation.

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

How Is Kuke Music Holding's Revenue Growth Trending?

There's an inherent assumption that a company should be matching the industry for P/S ratios like Kuke Music Holding's to be considered reasonable.

If we review the last year of revenue growth, the company posted a worthy increase of 10%. However, this wasn't enough as the latest three year period has seen an unpleasant 56% overall drop in revenue. Accordingly, shareholders would have felt downbeat about the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

In contrast to the company, the rest of the industry is expected to grow by 12% over the next year, which really puts the company's recent medium-term revenue decline into perspective.

With this information, we find it concerning that Kuke Music Holding is trading at a fairly similar P/S compared to the industry. It seems most investors are ignoring the recent poor growth rate and are hoping for a turnaround in the company's business prospects. There's a good chance existing shareholders are setting themselves up for future disappointment if the P/S falls to levels more in line with the recent negative growth rates.

What We Can Learn From Kuke Music Holding's P/S?

Kuke Music Holding's plummeting stock price has brought its P/S back to a similar region as the rest of the industry. 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.

We find it unexpected that Kuke Music Holding trades at a P/S ratio that is comparable to the rest of the industry, despite experiencing declining revenues during the medium-term, while the industry as a whole is expected to grow. When we see revenue heading backwards in the context of growing industry forecasts, it'd make sense to expect a possible share price decline on the horizon, sending the moderate P/S lower. If recent medium-term revenue trends continue, it will place shareholders' investments at risk and potential investors in danger of paying an unnecessary premium.

You should always think about risks.

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.

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.