Yahoo Finance Did European Lithium's (ASX:EUR) Share Price Deserve to Gain 53%?
One simple way to benefit from the stock market is to buy an index fund. But many of us dare to dream of bigger returns, and build a portfolio ourselves. For example, the European Lithium Limited (ASX:EUR) share price is up 53% in the last three years, clearly besting the market return of around 23% (not including dividends).
See our latest analysis for European Lithium
With just AU$134,692 worth of revenue in twelve months, we don't think the market considers European Lithium to have proven its business plan. So it seems shareholders are too busy dreaming about the progress to come than dwelling on the current (lack of) revenue. It seems likely some shareholders believe that European Lithium will find or develop a valuable new mine before too long.
Companies that lack both meaningful revenue and profits are usually considered high risk. You should be aware that there is always a chance that this sort of company will need to issue more shares to raise money to continue pursuing its business plan. While some companies like this go on to deliver on their plan, making good money for shareholders, many end in painful losses and eventual de-listing. European Lithium has already given some investors a taste of the sweet gains that high risk investing can generate, if your timing is right.
Our data indicates that European Lithium had AU$907k more in total liabilities than it had cash, when it last reported in June 2019. That makes it extremely high risk, in our view. So the fact that the stock is up 123% per year, over 3 years shows that high risks can lead to high rewards, sometimes. Investors must really like its potential. You can see in the image below, how European Lithium's cash levels have changed over time (click to see the values). You can see in the image below, how European Lithium's cash levels have changed over time (click to see the values).
In reality it's hard to have much certainty when valuing a business that has neither revenue or profit. Given that situation, many of the best investors like to check if insiders have been buying shares. It's usually a positive if they have, as it may indicate they see value in the stock. You can click here to see if there are insiders buying.
A Different Perspective
European Lithium shareholders are down 7.1% for the year, but the broader market is up 19%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Investors are up over three years, booking 15% per year, much better than the more recent returns. Sometimes when a good quality long term winner has a weak period, it's turns out to be an opportunity, but you really need to be sure that the quality is there. If you want to research this stock further, the data on insider buying is an obvious place to start. You can click here to see who has been buying shares - and the price they paid.
European Lithium 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 AU 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.
