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Some Strata-X Energy (CVE:SXE) Shareholders Have Copped A 96% Share Price Wipe Out

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It's nice to see the Strata-X Energy Ltd. (CVE:SXE) share price up 25% in a week. But will that repair the damage for the weary investors who have owned this stock as it declined over half a decade? Probably not. Five years have seen the share price descend precipitously, down a full 96%. While the recent increase might be a green shoot, we're certainly hesitant to rejoice. The important question is if the business itself justifies a higher share price in the long term.

While a drop like that is definitely a body blow, money isn't as important as health and happiness.

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See our latest analysis for Strata-X Energy

With just US$35,965 worth of revenue in twelve months, we don't think the market considers Strata-X Energy to have proven its business plan. This state of affairs suggests that venture capitalists won't provide funds on attractive terms. 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. For example, they may be hoping that Strata-X Energy finds fossil fuels with an exploration program, before it runs out of money.

As a general rule, if a company doesn't have much revenue, and it loses money, then it is a high risk investment. There 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 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). It certainly is a dangerous place to invest, as Strata-X Energy investors might realise.

Strata-X Energy had liabilities exceeding cash by US$400,449 when it last reported in March 2019, according to our data. That makes it extremely high risk, in our view. But since the share price has dived -48% per year, over 5 years, it looks like some investors think it's time to abandon ship, so to speak. You can see in the image below, how Strata-X Energy's cash levels have changed over time (click to see the values). You can see in the image below, how Strata-X Energy's cash levels have changed over time (click to see the values).

TSXV:SXE Historical Debt, July 18th 2019
TSXV:SXE Historical Debt, July 18th 2019

Of course, the truth is that it is hard to value companies without much revenue or profit. 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

While the broader market gained around 0.6% in the last year, Strata-X Energy shareholders lost 17%. 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. Unfortunately, longer term shareholders are suffering worse, given the loss of 48% doled out over the last five years. We'd need to see some sustained improvements in the key metrics before we could muster much enthusiasm. Investors who like to make money usually check up on insider purchases, such as the price paid, and total amount bought. You can find out about the insider purchases of Strata-X Energy by clicking this link.

Strata-X Energy is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

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