Autolus Therapeutics (NASDAQ:AUTL) shareholder returns have been favorable, earning 76% in 1 year

Passive investing in index funds can generate returns that roughly match the overall market. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. For example, the Autolus Therapeutics plc (NASDAQ:AUTL) share price is up 76% in the last 1 year, clearly besting the market return of around 32% (not including dividends). That's a solid performance by our standards! Zooming out, the stock is actually down 32% in the last three years.

The past week has proven to be lucrative for Autolus Therapeutics investors, so let's see if fundamentals drove the company's one-year performance.

See our latest analysis for Autolus Therapeutics

Autolus Therapeutics wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. 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.

Autolus Therapeutics grew its revenue by 40% last year. We respect that sort of growth, no doubt. While the share price performed well, gaining 76% over twelve months, you could argue the revenue growth warranted it. If the company can maintain the revenue growth, the share price could go higher still. But it's crucial to check profitability and cash flow before forming a view on the future.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

Take a more thorough look at Autolus Therapeutics' financial health with this free report on its balance sheet.

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Autolus Therapeutics shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 76% over one year. That certainly beats the loss of about 11% per year over the last half decade. The long term loss makes us cautious, but the short term TSR gain certainly hints at a brighter future. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Autolus Therapeutics better, we need to consider many other factors. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Autolus Therapeutics (of which 1 is significant!) you should know about.

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of undervalued small caps 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 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.