The AtriCure (NASDAQ:ATRC) Share Price Has Gained 290%, So Why Not Pay It Some Attention?

The worst result, after buying shares in a company (assuming no leverage), would be if you lose all the money you put in. But in contrast you can make much more than 100% if the company does well. To wit, the AtriCure, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATRC) share price has flown 290% in the last three years. Most would be happy with that. Also pleasing for shareholders was the 63% gain in the last three months.

View our latest analysis for AtriCure

Given that AtriCure 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 expect to see good revenue growth. 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.

AtriCure's revenue trended up 9.0% each year over three years. That's a very respectable growth rate. It's fair to say that the market has acknowledged the growth by pushing the share price up 57% per year. The business has made good progress on the top line, but the market is extrapolating the growth. Some investors like to buy in just after a company becomes profitable, since that can be a powerful inflexion point.

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

It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. If you are thinking of buying or selling AtriCure stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that AtriCure has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 47% in the last twelve months. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 29% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. 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. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for AtriCure you should be aware of.

AtriCure is not the only stock that insiders are buying. 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. 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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