The Sypris Solutions (NASDAQ:SYPR) Share Price Is Down 65% So Some Shareholders Are Wishing They Sold

Generally speaking long term investing is the way to go. But that doesn't mean long term investors can avoid big losses. To wit, the Sypris Solutions, Inc. (NASDAQ:SYPR) share price managed to fall 65% over five long years. We certainly feel for shareholders who bought near the top. And some of the more recent buyers are probably worried, too, with the stock falling 21% in the last year. Furthermore, it's down 19% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders.

View our latest analysis for Sypris Solutions

Because Sypris Solutions 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. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

Over half a decade Sypris Solutions reduced its trailing twelve month revenue by 34% for each year. That puts it in an unattractive cohort, to put it mildly. Arguably, the market has responded appropriately to this business performance by sending the share price down 19% (annualized) in the same time period. We don't generally like to own companies that lose money and don't grow revenues. You might be better off spending your money on a leisure activity. This looks like a really risky stock to buy, at a glance.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

Balance sheet strength is crucial. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.

A Different Perspective

Investors in Sypris Solutions had a tough year, with a total loss of 21%, against a market gain of about 28%. 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 19% 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. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Sypris Solutions better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for Sypris Solutions you should be aware of.

Of course Sypris Solutions 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 US exchanges.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.