The Aeglea BioTherapeutics (NASDAQ:AGLE) Share Price Has Gained 50% And Shareholders Are Hoping For More

By buying an index fund, you can roughly match the market return with ease. But if you choose individual stocks with prowess, you can make superior returns. For example, the Aeglea BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:AGLE) share price is up 50% in the last three years, clearly besting than the market return of around 30% (not including dividends).

Check out our latest analysis for Aeglea BioTherapeutics

With zero revenue generated over twelve months, we don't think that Aeglea BioTherapeutics has proved its business plan yet. As a result, we think it's unlikely shareholders are paying much attention to current revenue, but rather speculating on growth in the years to come. It seems likely some shareholders believe that Aeglea BioTherapeutics has the funding to invent a new product before too long.

As a general rule, if a company doesn't have much revenue, and it loses money, then it is a high risk investment. There is almost always a chance they will need to raise more capital, and their progress - and share price - will dictate how dilutive that is to current holders. While some such companies go on to make revenue, profits, and generate value, others get hyped up by hopeful naifs before eventually going bankrupt.

When it last reported its balance sheet in June 2019, Aeglea BioTherapeutics had cash in excess of all liabilities of US$88m. While that's nothing to panic about, there is some possibility the company will raise more capital, especially if profits are not imminent. Given the share price has increased by a solid 14% per year, over 3 years, its fair to say investors remain excited about the future, despite the potential need for cash. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Aeglea BioTherapeutics's cash levels have changed over time.

Of course, the truth is that it is hard to value companies without much revenue or profit. Given that situation, many of the best investors like to check if insiders have been buying shares. If they are buying a significant amount of shares, that's certainly a good thing. You can click here to see if there are insiders buying.

A Different Perspective

Over the last year, Aeglea BioTherapeutics shareholders took a loss of 15%. In contrast the market gained about 2.2%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Fortunately the longer term story is brighter, with total returns averaging about 14% per year over three years. The recent sell-off could be an opportunity if the business remains sound, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long-term growth trend. It is all well and good that insiders have been buying shares, but we suggest you check here to see what price insiders were buying at.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.

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

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.

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. Thank you for reading.