Investors in ImpediMed (ASX:IPD) have unfortunately lost 37% over the last three years

It is a pleasure to report that the ImpediMed Limited (ASX:IPD) is up 52% in the last quarter. But that cannot eclipse the less-than-impressive returns over the last three years. Truth be told the share price declined 37% in three years and that return, Dear Reader, falls short of what you could have got from passive investing with an index fund.

Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns.

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Given that ImpediMed didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally hope to see good revenue growth. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one would hope for good top-line growth to make up for the lack of earnings.

In the last three years, ImpediMed saw its revenue grow by 1.8% per year, compound. That's not a very high growth rate considering it doesn't make profits. The stock dropped 11% during that time. Shareholders will probably be hoping growth picks up soon. But ultimately the key will be whether the company can become profitability.

You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on ImpediMed

A Different Perspective

Investors in ImpediMed had a tough year, with a total loss of 19%, against a market gain of about 15%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 6% per year over five years. 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. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand ImpediMed better, we need to consider many other factors. Even so, be aware that ImpediMed is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those doesn't sit too well with us...

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

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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.