Yahoo Finance Freelancer (ASX:FLN) investors are sitting on a loss of 68% if they invested a year ago
Even the best stock pickers will make plenty of bad investments. And unfortunately for Freelancer Limited (ASX:FLN) shareholders, the stock is a lot lower today than it was a year ago. To wit the share price is down 68% in that time. We note that it has not been easy for shareholders over three years, either; the share price is down 57% in that time. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 37% in the last 90 days.
It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that.
See our latest analysis for Freelancer
Freelancer isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.
In just one year Freelancer saw its revenue fall by 2.3%. That's not what investors generally want to see. In the absence of profits, it's not unreasonable that the share price fell 68%. Fingers crossed this is the low ebb for the stock. We have a natural aversion to companies that are losing money and shrinking revenue. But perhaps that is being too careful.
The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).
If you are thinking of buying or selling Freelancer stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet.
A Different Perspective
While the broader market gained around 6.2% in the last year, Freelancer shareholders lost 68%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 10% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. 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. Take risks, for example - Freelancer has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.
We will like Freelancer better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, 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.
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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.
