The Frontier Resources (ASX:FNT) Share Price Is Down 89% So Some Shareholders Are Rather Upset

Some stocks are best avoided. We don't wish catastrophic capital loss on anyone. For example, we sympathize with anyone who was caught holding Frontier Resources Limited (ASX:FNT) during the five years that saw its share price drop a whopping 89%. It's down 10.0% in the last seven days.

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.

View our latest analysis for Frontier Resources

Frontier Resources recorded just AU$23,043 in revenue over the last twelve months, which isn't really enough for us to consider it to have a proven product. We can't help wondering why it's publicly listed so early in its journey. Are venture capitalists not interested? So it seems that the investors focused more on what could be, than paying attention to the current revenues (or lack thereof). For example, investors may be hoping that Frontier Resources finds some valuable resources, before it runs out of money.

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 go on to make revenue, profits, and generate value, others get hyped up by hopeful naifs before eventually going bankrupt. Some Frontier Resources investors have already had a taste of the bitterness stocks like this can leave in the mouth.

When it last reported its balance sheet in June 2019, Frontier Resources could boast a strong position, with cash in excess of all liabilities of AU$4.7m. That allows management to focus on growing the business, and not worry too much about raising capital. But with the share price diving 35% per year, over 5 years , it could be that the price was previously too hyped up. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Frontier Resources's cash levels have changed over time. The image below shows how Frontier Resources's balance sheet has changed over time; if you want to see the precise values, simply click on the image.

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? It would bother me, that's for sure. You can click here to see if there are insiders selling.

What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between Frontier Resources's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price return. The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Frontier Resources hasn't been paying dividends, but its TSR of -87% exceeds its share price return of -89%, implying it has either spun-off a business, or raised capital at a discount; thereby providing additional value to shareholders.

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Frontier Resources shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 13% over one year. Notably the five-year annualised TSR loss of 33% per year compares very unfavourably with the recent share price performance. The long term loss makes us cautious, but the short term TSR gain certainly hints at a brighter future. 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. To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Frontier Resources (including 3 which is are potentially serious) .

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

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

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

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