The HF Foods Group Inc. (NASDAQ:HFFG) share price has fared very poorly over the last month, falling by a substantial 28%. The drop over the last 30 days has capped off a tough year for shareholders, with the share price down 32% in that time.

In spite of the heavy fall in price, it's still not a stretch to say that HF Foods Group's price-to-sales (or "P/S") ratio of 0.1x right now seems quite "middle-of-the-road" compared to the Consumer Retailing industry in the United States, where the median P/S ratio is around 0.4x. 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.

What Does HF Foods Group's P/S Mean For Shareholders?

HF Foods Group's revenue growth of late has been pretty similar to most other companies. Perhaps the market is expecting future revenue performance to show no drastic signs of changing, justifying the P/S being at current levels. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this can at least be maintained so that you could pick up some stock while it's not quite in favour.

If you'd like to see what analysts are forecasting going forward, you should check out our free report on HF Foods Group.

Do Revenue Forecasts Match The P/S Ratio?

In order to justify its P/S ratio, HF Foods Group would need to produce growth that's similar to the industry.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company managed to grow revenues by a handy 4.9% last year. The latest three year period has also seen a 19% overall rise in revenue, aided somewhat by its short-term performance. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably been satisfied with the medium-term rates of revenue growth.

Shifting to the future, estimates from the dual analysts covering the company suggest revenue should grow by 3.2% over the next year. That's shaping up to be similar to the 5.1% growth forecast for the broader industry.

In light of this, it's understandable that HF Foods Group's P/S sits in line with the majority of other companies. Apparently shareholders are comfortable to simply hold on while the company is keeping a low profile.

The Key Takeaway

With its share price dropping off a cliff, the P/S for HF Foods Group looks to be in line with the rest of the Consumer Retailing industry. 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 look at HF Foods Group's revenue growth estimates show that its P/S is about what we expect, as both metrics follow closely with the industry averages. Right now shareholders are comfortable with the P/S as they are quite confident future revenue won't throw up any surprises. All things considered, if the P/S and revenue estimates contain no major shocks, then it's hard to see the share price moving strongly in either direction in the near future.

A lot of potential risks can sit within a company's balance sheet. Our free balance sheet analysis for HF Foods Group with six simple checks will allow you to discover any risks that could be an issue.

If you're unsure about the strength of HF Foods Group's business, why not explore our interactive list of stocks with solid business fundamentals for some other companies you may have missed.

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.