Shareholders in Ocado Group (LON:OCDO) are in the red if they invested a year ago

Taking the occasional loss comes part and parcel with investing on the stock market. And unfortunately for Ocado Group plc (LON:OCDO) shareholders, the stock is a lot lower today than it was a year ago. In that relatively short period, the share price has plunged 53%. We note that it has not been easy for shareholders over three years, either; the share price is down 45% in that time. Even worse, it's down 16% in about a month, which isn't fun at all.

Now let's have a look at the company's fundamentals, and see if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

Check out our latest analysis for Ocado Group

Ocado Group wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. 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 just one year Ocado Group saw its revenue fall by 4.8%. That's not what investors generally want to see. The share price drop of 53% is understandable given the company doesn't have profits to boast of. 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.

You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

earnings-and-revenue-growth

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. If you are thinking of buying or selling Ocado Group stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 3.2% in the last year, Ocado Group shareholders lost 53%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 2%, each year, over five years. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should be aware of the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Ocado Group .

Ocado Group 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 GB 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.

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