Creo Medical Group (LON:CREO) shareholders have endured a 83% loss from investing in the stock three years ago

While it may not be enough for some shareholders, we think it is good to see the Creo Medical Group PLC (LON:CREO) share price up 12% in a single quarter. But that is meagre solace in the face of the shocking decline over three years. To wit, the share price sky-dived 83% in that time. So it's about time shareholders saw some gains. Of course the real question is whether the business can sustain a turnaround. We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway.

Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns.

Check out our latest analysis for Creo Medical Group

Creo Medical Group 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 desire strong revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

Over three years, Creo Medical Group grew revenue at 22% per year. That is faster than most pre-profit companies. So why has the share priced crashed 22% per year, in the same time? The share price makes us wonder if there is an issue with profitability. Ultimately, revenue growth doesn't amount to much if the business can't scale well. Unless the balance sheet is strong, the company might have to raise capital.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

earnings-and-revenue-growth

If you are thinking of buying or selling Creo Medical Group stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet.

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Creo Medical Group shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 43% over one year. That certainly beats the loss of about 13% per year over the last half decade. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Creo Medical Group better, we need to consider many other factors. Take risks, for example - Creo Medical Group has 1 warning sign we think you should be aware of.

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of undervalued small caps 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 British 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.