Further weakness as International Business Settlement Holdings (HKG:147) drops 11% this week, taking five-year losses to 50%

In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it's worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But every investor is virtually certain to have both over-performing and under-performing stocks. So we wouldn't blame long term International Business Settlement Holdings Limited (HKG:147) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 50% over a half decade. Even worse, it's down 15% in about a month, which isn't fun at all.

Since International Business Settlement Holdings has shed HK$163m from its value in the past 7 days, let's see if the longer term decline has been driven by the business' economics.

View our latest analysis for International Business Settlement Holdings

Because International Business Settlement 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. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one would hope for good top-line growth to make up for the lack of earnings.

Over half a decade International Business Settlement Holdings reduced its trailing twelve month revenue by 7.8% for each year. That's not what investors generally want to see. The stock hasn't done well for shareholders in the last five years, falling 8%, annualized. Unfortunately, though, it makes sense given the lack of either profits or revenue growth. It might be worth watching for signs of a turnaround - buyers are probably expecting one.

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

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

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that International Business Settlement Holdings shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 5.0% over one year. There's no doubt those recent returns are much better than the TSR loss of 8% per year over five years. 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 International Business Settlement Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for International Business Settlement Holdings you should be aware of.

Of course International Business Settlement Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com