Yahoo Finance St George Mining (ASX:SGQ) Shareholders Have Enjoyed A 65% Share Price Gain
By buying an index fund, investors can approximate the average market return. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. For example, St George Mining Limited (ASX:SGQ) shareholders have seen the share price rise 65% over three years, well in excess of the market return (21%, not including dividends).
Check out our latest analysis for St George Mining
St George Mining didn’t have any revenue in the last year, so it’s fair to say it doesn’t yet have a proven product (or at least not one people are paying for). As a result, we think it’s unlikely shareholders are paying much attention to current revenue, but rather speculating on growth in the years to come. It seems likely some shareholders believe that St George Mining will find or develop a valuable new mine before too long.
We think companies that have neither significant revenues nor profits are pretty high risk. The is usually a significant chance that they will need more money for business development, putting them at the mercy of capital markets. So the share price itself impacts the value of the shares (as it determines the cost of capital). While some such companies go on to make revenue, profits, and generate value, others get hyped up by hopeful naifs before eventually going bankrupt. Some St George Mining investors have already had a taste of the sweet taste stocks like this can leave in the mouth, as they gain popularity and attract speculative capital
St George Mining had net debt of AU$246,406 when it last reported in December 2018, according to our data. That makes it extremely high risk, in our view. So we’re surprised to see the stock up 18% per year, over 3 years, but we’re happy for holders. It’s clear more than a few people believe in the potential. You can see in the image below, how St George Mining’s cash and debt levels have changed over time (click to see the values).
Of course, the truth is that it is hard to value companies without much revenue or profit. Given that situation, many of the best investors like to check if insiders have been buying shares. If they are buying a significant amount of shares, that’s certainly a good thing. Luckily we are in a position to provide you with this free chart of insider buying (and selling).
A Different Perspective
Investors in St George Mining had a tough year, with a total loss of 20%, against a market gain of about 9.1%. 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 9.5%, 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. You could get a better understanding of St George Mining’s growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.
Of course St George Mining may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.
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.
