Even after rising 13% this past week, Hong Kong Technology Venture (HKG:1137) shareholders are still down 78% over the past three years

Hong Kong Technology Venture Company Limited (HKG:1137) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 20% in the last month. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last three years have been stomach churning. In that time the share price has melted like a snowball in the desert, down 79%. So we're relieved for long term holders to see a bit of uplift. Only time will tell if the company can sustain the turnaround.

The recent uptick of 13% could be a positive sign of things to come, so let's take a look at historical fundamentals.

Given that Hong Kong Technology Venture 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. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally hope to see good revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

Over three years, Hong Kong Technology Venture grew revenue at 5.2% per year. That's not a very high growth rate considering it doesn't make profits. But the share price crash at 21% per year does seem a bit harsh! We generally don't try to 'catch the falling knife'. Of course, revenue growth is nice but generally speaking the lower the profits, the riskier the business - and this business isn't making steady profits.

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

If you are thinking of buying or selling Hong Kong Technology Venture stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet.

A Different Perspective

Investors in Hong Kong Technology Venture had a tough year, with a total loss of 8.0%, against a market gain of about 35%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. However, the loss over the last year isn't as bad as the 11% per annum loss investors have suffered over the last half decade. 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.

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of undervalued 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 Hong Kong 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.