Investors in Central Development Holdings (HKG:475) from five years ago are still down 39%, even after 13% gain this past week

It's nice to see the Central Development Holdings Limited (HKG:475) share price up 13% in a week. But over the last half decade, the stock has not performed well. You would have done a lot better buying an index fund, since the stock has dropped 39% in that half decade.

While the last five years has been tough for Central Development Holdings shareholders, this past week has shown signs of promise. So let's look at the longer term fundamentals and see if they've been the driver of the negative returns.

View our latest analysis for Central Development Holdings

Because Central Development 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 expect strong revenue growth. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.

Over five years, Central Development Holdings grew its revenue at 28% per year. That's better than most loss-making companies. Shareholders are no doubt disappointed with the loss of 7%, each year, in that time. So you might argue the Central Development Holdings should get more credit for its rather impressive revenue growth over the period. So now is probably an apt time to look closer at the stock, if you think it has potential.

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

You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Central Development Holdings shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 16% over the last year. That certainly beats the loss of about 7% per year over the last half decade. The long term loss makes us cautious, but the short term TSR gain certainly hints at a brighter future. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Central Development Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Central Development Holdings that you should be aware of.

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 HK exchanges.

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.

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