Investing in ImpediMed (ASX:IPD) a year ago would have delivered you a 146% gain

Unfortunately, investing is risky - companies can and do go bankrupt. But if you pick the right stock, you can make a lot more than 100%. For example, the ImpediMed Limited (ASX:IPD) share price had more than doubled in just one year - up 146%. The last week saw the share price soften some 8.3%. It is also impressive that the stock is up 94% over three years, adding to the sense that it is a real winner.

So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 1 year and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns.

View our latest analysis for ImpediMed

ImpediMed isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

In the last year ImpediMed saw its revenue grow by 7.4%. That's not a very high growth rate considering it doesn't make profits. In contrast, the share price took off during the year, gaining 146%. We're happy that investors have made money, though we wonder if the increase will be sustained. We're not so sure that revenue growth is driving the market optimism about the stock.

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

earnings-and-revenue-growth

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that ImpediMed shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 146% over the last year. There's no doubt those recent returns are much better than the TSR loss of 10% 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. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for ImpediMed you should know about.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies 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 Australian 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.