Introducing Capricor Therapeutics (NASDAQ:CAPR), The Stock That Collapsed 98%

Capricor Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAPR) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 24% in the last month. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last half decade have been stomach churning. Five years have seen the share price descend precipitously, down a full 98%. While the recent increase might be a green shoot, we're certainly hesitant to rejoice. The real question is whether the business can leave its past behind and improve itself over the years ahead.

We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway.

See our latest analysis for Capricor Therapeutics

With just US$1,431,010 worth of revenue in twelve months, we don't think the market considers Capricor Therapeutics to have proven its business plan. This state of affairs suggests that venture capitalists won't provide funds on attractive terms. As a result, we think it's unlikely shareholders are paying much attention to current revenue, but rather speculating on growth in the years to come. It seems likely some shareholders believe that Capricor Therapeutics has the funding to invent a new product before too long.

As a general rule, if a company doesn't have much revenue, and it loses money, then it is a high risk investment. There is almost always a chance they will need to raise more capital, and their progress - and share price - will dictate how dilutive that is to current holders. While some such companies do very well over the long term, others become hyped up by promoters before eventually falling back down to earth, and going bankrupt (or being recapitalized). Capricor Therapeutics has already given some investors a taste of the bitter losses that high risk investing can cause.

When it reported in September 2019 Capricor Therapeutics had minimal cash in excess of all liabilities consider its expenditure: just US$2.5m to be specific. So if it has not already moved to replenish reserves, we think the near-term chances of a capital raising event are pretty high. That probably explains why the share price is down 52% per year, over 5 years . You can see in the image below, how Capricor Therapeutics's cash levels have changed over time (click to see the values). You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Capricor Therapeutics's cash levels have changed over time.

In reality it's hard to have much certainty when valuing a business that has neither revenue or profit. Given that situation, would you be concerned if it turned out insiders were relentlessly selling stock? I would feel more nervous about the company if that were so. It costs nothing but a moment of your time to see if we are picking up on any insider selling.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 20% in the last year, Capricor Therapeutics shareholders lost 69%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 52% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Be aware that Capricor Therapeutics is showing 6 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 2 of those are significant...

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

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