If You Had Bought Agora's (WSE:AGO) Shares Three Years Ago You Would Be Down 54%

If you love investing in stocks you're bound to buy some losers. But long term Agora S.A. (WSE:AGO) shareholders have had a particularly rough ride in the last three year. Regrettably, they have had to cope with a 54% drop in the share price over that period. And more recent buyers are having a tough time too, with a drop of 30% in the last year. It's down 1.2% in the last seven days.

See our latest analysis for Agora

Given that Agora 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. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit.

In the last three years Agora saw its revenue shrink by 1.0% per year. That is not a good result. The share price decline of 16% compound, over three years, is understandable given the company doesn't have profits to boast of, and revenue is moving in the wrong direction. Of course, it's the future that will determine whether today's price is a good one. We don't generally like to own companies that lose money and can't grow revenues. But any company is worth looking at when it makes a maiden profit.

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

Take a more thorough look at Agora's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet.

What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

Investors should note that there's a difference between Agora's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Dividends have been really beneficial for Agora shareholders, and that cash payout explains why its total shareholder loss of 50%, over the last 3 years, isn't as bad as the share price return.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 0.9% in the last year, Agora shareholders lost 30%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 6% per year over five years. 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 example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Agora that you should be aware of before investing here.

For those who like to find winning investments 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 PL exchanges.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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