Beken (SHSE:603068 investor five-year losses grow to 65% as the stock sheds CN¥687m this past week

While not a mind-blowing move, it is good to see that the Beken Corporation (SHSE:603068) share price has gained 23% in the last three months. But don't envy holders -- looking back over 5 years the returns have been really bad. Indeed, the share price is down 66% in the period. So we're not so sure if the recent bounce should be celebrated. We'd err towards caution given the long term under-performance.

Given the past week has been tough on shareholders, let's investigate the fundamentals and see what we can learn.

Check out our latest analysis for Beken

Given that Beken 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. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

In the last five years Beken saw its revenue shrink by 10% per year. That's definitely a weaker result than most pre-profit companies report. It seems appropriate, then, that the share price slid about 11% annually during that time. We don't generally like to own companies that lose money and don't grow revenues. You might be better off spending your money on a leisure activity. This looks like a really risky stock to buy, at a glance.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

Balance sheet strength is crucial. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Beken shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 63% over the last year. That's including the dividend. That certainly beats the loss of about 11% per year over the last half decade. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Beken better, we need to consider many other factors. Take risks, for example - Beken has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of undervalued small caps 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 Chinese 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.