Easy Come, Easy Go: How Imaging Dynamics (CVE:IDL) Shareholders Got Unlucky And Saw 91% Of Their Cash Evaporate

Long term investing is the way to go, but that doesn't mean you should hold every stock forever. We don't wish catastrophic capital loss on anyone. Spare a thought for those who held Imaging Dynamics Company Ltd. (CVE:IDL) for five whole years - as the share price tanked 91%. And some of the more recent buyers are probably worried, too, with the stock falling 33% in the last year. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 60% in the last 90 days.

We really hope anyone holding through that price crash has a diversified portfolio. Even when you lose money, you don't have to lose the lesson.

See our latest analysis for Imaging Dynamics

Imaging Dynamics recorded just CA$585,710 in revenue over the last twelve months, which isn't really enough for us to consider it to have a proven product. This state of affairs suggests that venture capitalists won't provide funds on attractive terms. So it seems that the investors more focused on would could be, than paying attention to the current revenues (or lack thereof). Investors will be hoping that Imaging Dynamics can make progress and gain better traction for the business, before it runs low on cash.

We think companies that have neither significant revenues nor profits are pretty high risk. You should be aware that there is always a chance that this sort of company will need to issue more shares to raise money to continue pursuing its business plan. 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). Imaging Dynamics has already given some investors a taste of the bitter losses that high risk investing can cause.

Imaging Dynamics had net debt of CA$21,633,145 when it last reported in September 2018, according to our data. That makes it extremely high risk, in our view. But since the share price has dived -38% per year, over 5 years, it looks like some investors think it's time to abandon ship, so to speak. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Imaging Dynamics's cash and debt levels have changed over time.

It can be extremely risky to invest in a company that doesn't even have revenue. There's no way to know its value easily. 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 only takes a moment for you to check whether we have identified any insider sales recently.

A Different Perspective

Imaging Dynamics shareholders are down 33% for the year, but the market itself is up 2.9%. 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. Unfortunately, longer term shareholders are suffering worse, given the loss of 38% doled out over the last five years. We would want clear information suggesting the company will grow, before taking the view that the share price will stabilize. You might want to assess this data-rich visualization of its earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

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. Thank you for reading.