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Did You Manage To Avoid West Wits Mining's (ASX:WWI) 45% Share Price Drop?

For many investors, the main point of stock picking is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But its virtually certain that sometimes you will buy stocks that fall short of the market average returns. We regret to report that long term West Wits Mining Limited (ASX:WWI) shareholders have had that experience, with the share price dropping 45% in three years, versus a market decline of about 7.6%.

Check out our latest analysis for West Wits Mining

With just AU$3,023,000 worth of revenue in twelve months, we don't think the market considers West Wits Mining to have proven its business plan. You have to wonder why venture capitalists aren't funding it. 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 West Wits Mining will find or develop a valuable new mine before too long.

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We think companies that have neither significant revenues nor profits are pretty high risk. 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 do very well over the long term, others become hyped up by promoters before eventually falling back down to earth, and going bankrupt (or being recapitalized).

West Wits Mining had liabilities exceeding cash by AU$3.1m when it last reported in December 2019, according to our data. That puts it in the highest risk category, according to our analysis. But with the share price diving 18% per year, over 3 years , it's probably fair to say that some shareholders no longer believe the company will succeed. The image below shows how West Wits Mining's balance sheet has changed over time; if you want to see the precise values, simply click on the image.

ASX:WWI Historical Debt May 22nd 2020
ASX:WWI Historical Debt May 22nd 2020

It can be extremely risky to invest in a company that doesn't even have revenue. There's no way to know its value easily. Given that situation, would you be concerned if it turned out insiders were relentlessly selling stock? It would bother me, that's for sure. It costs nothing but a moment of your time to see if we are picking up on any insider selling.

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that West Wits Mining has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 38% in the last twelve months. There's no doubt those recent returns are much better than the TSR loss of 7.9% per year over five years. We generally put more weight on the long term performance over the short term, but the recent improvement could hint at a (positive) inflection point within the business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 6 warning signs for West Wits Mining (of which 3 can't be ignored!) you should know about.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

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

Love or hate this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email 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. 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. Thank you for reading.