Shareholders in Ceres Power Holdings (LON:CWR) have lost 83%, as stock drops 13% this past week

Ceres Power Holdings plc (LON:CWR) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 27% in the last quarter. But the last three years have seen a terrible decline. In that time the share price has melted like a snowball in the desert, down 83%. So it's about time shareholders saw some gains. Of course the real question is whether the business can sustain a turnaround. 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.

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

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Because Ceres Power Holdings made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually desire strong revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

In the last three years, Ceres Power Holdings saw its revenue grow by 24% per year, compound. That is faster than most pre-profit companies. So on the face of it we're really surprised to see the share price down 22% a year in the same time period. The share price makes us wonder if there is an issue with profitability. Sometimes fast revenue growth doesn't lead to profits. Unless the balance sheet is strong, the company might have to raise capital.

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

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. 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

While the broader market gained around 25% in the last year, Ceres Power Holdings shareholders lost 42%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 12% over the last half decade. 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. 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. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Ceres Power Holdings (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable) that you should be aware of.

Ceres Power Holdings is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find lesser know companies this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

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