Alto Ingredients (NASDAQ:ALTO) delivers shareholders strong 19% CAGR over 5 years, surging 12% in the last week alone

The worst result, after buying shares in a company (assuming no leverage), would be if you lose all the money you put in. But on a lighter note, a good company can see its share price rise well over 100%. For example, the Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ:ALTO) share price has soared 138% in the last half decade. Most would be very happy with that. On top of that, the share price is up 18% in about a quarter.

Since the stock has added US$12m to its market cap in the past week alone, let's see if underlying performance has been driving long-term returns.

See our latest analysis for Alto Ingredients

Because Alto Ingredients 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 hope to see good revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

Over the last half decade Alto Ingredients' revenue has actually been trending down at about 0.7% per year. On the other hand, the share price done the opposite, gaining 19%, compound, each year. It just goes to show tht the market is forward looking, and it's not always easy to predict the future based on past trends. Still, we are a bit cautious in this kind of situation.

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

While the broader market gained around 26% in the last year, Alto Ingredients shareholders lost 64%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 19%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. You might want to assess this data-rich visualization of its earnings, revenue and cash flow.

But note: Alto Ingredients may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American 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.