Loss-making Lightning eMotors (NYSE:ZEV) sheds a further US$56m, taking total shareholder losses to 63% over 1 year

Taking the occasional loss comes part and parcel with investing on the stock market. And unfortunately for Lightning eMotors, Inc. (NYSE:ZEV) shareholders, the stock is a lot lower today than it was a year ago. The share price has slid 63% in that time. We wouldn't rush to judgement on Lightning eMotors because we don't have a long term history to look at. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 40% in the last 90 days.

Given the past week has been tough on shareholders, let's investigate the fundamentals and see what we can learn.

View our latest analysis for Lightning eMotors

Because Lightning eMotors 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. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

In the last twelve months, Lightning eMotors increased its revenue by 188%. That's a strong result which is better than most other loss making companies. Meanwhile, the share price slid 63%. This could mean hype has come out of the stock because the bottom line is concerning investors. We'd definitely consider it a positive if the company is trending towards profitability. If you can see that happening, then perhaps consider adding this stock to your watchlist.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. You can see what analysts are predicting for Lightning eMotors in this interactive graph of future profit estimates.

A Different Perspective

Given that the market gained 2.0% in the last year, Lightning eMotors shareholders might be miffed that they lost 63%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. The share price decline has continued throughout the most recent three months, down 40%, suggesting an absence of enthusiasm from investors. Basically, most investors should be wary of buying into a poor-performing stock, unless the business itself has clearly improved. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Take risks, for example - Lightning eMotors has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

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 US 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.