BioCryst Pharmaceuticals' (NASDAQ:BCRX) growing losses don't faze investors as the stock spikes 12% this past week

The most you can lose on any stock (assuming you don't use leverage) is 100% of your money. But on a lighter note, a good company can see its share price rise well over 100%. For instance, the price of BioCryst Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:BCRX) stock is up an impressive 237% over the last five years. It's also good to see the share price up 68% over the last quarter.

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

View our latest analysis for BioCryst Pharmaceuticals

Given that BioCryst Pharmaceuticals 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. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.

In the last 5 years BioCryst Pharmaceuticals saw its revenue grow at 25% per year. That's well above most pre-profit companies. Meanwhile, its share price performance certainly reflects the strong growth, given the share price grew at 28% per year, compound, during the period. This suggests the market has well and truly recognized the progress the business has made. BioCryst Pharmaceuticals seems like a high growth stock - so growth investors might want to add it to their watchlist.

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. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think BioCryst Pharmaceuticals will earn in the future (free profit forecasts).

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that BioCryst Pharmaceuticals has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 85% in the last twelve months. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 28%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand BioCryst Pharmaceuticals better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for BioCryst Pharmaceuticals (1 is a bit concerning) that you should be aware of.

BioCryst Pharmaceuticals is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

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

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.