Recent 7.3% pullback isn't enough to hurt long-term Ceres Power Holdings (LON:CWR) shareholders, they're still up 643% over 5 years

Long term investing can be life changing when you buy and hold the truly great businesses. While the best companies are hard to find, but they can generate massive returns over long periods. Don't believe it? Then look at the Ceres Power Holdings plc (LON:CWR) share price. It's 643% higher than it was five years ago. And this is just one example of the epic gains achieved by some long term investors. Also pleasing for shareholders was the 31% gain in the last three months. We love happy stories like this one. The company should be really proud of that performance!

While this past week has detracted from the company's five-year return, let's look at the recent trends of the underlying business and see if the gains have been in alignment.

Check out our latest analysis for Ceres Power Holdings

Ceres Power Holdings isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

In the last 5 years Ceres Power Holdings saw its revenue grow at 47% per year. That's well above most pre-profit companies. Arguably, this is well and truly reflected in the strong share price gain of 49%(per year) over the same period. Despite the strong run, top performers like Ceres Power Holdings have been known to go on winning for decades. So we'd recommend you take a closer look at this one, but keep in mind the market seems optimistic.

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. It's always worth keeping an eye on CEO pay, but a more important question is whether the company will grow earnings throughout the years. If you are thinking of buying or selling Ceres Power Holdings stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Ceres Power Holdings shareholders are down 39% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 1.5%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 49% per year over half a decade. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Ceres Power Holdings .

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

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