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Investors might be losing patience for Ballard Power Systems' (TSE:BLDP) increasing losses, as stock sheds 4.3% over the past week

Ballard Power Systems Inc. (TSE:BLDP) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 21% in the last month. But that does not change the realty that the stock's performance has been terrific, over five years. To be precise, the stock price is 491% higher than it was five years ago, a wonderful performance by any measure. Arguably, the recent fall is to be expected after such a strong rise. Of course what matters most is whether the business can improve itself sustainably, thus justifying a higher price. Unfortunately not all shareholders will have held it for the long term, so spare a thought for those caught in the 27% decline over the last twelve months.

Since the long term performance has been good but there's been a recent pullback of 4.3%, let's check if the fundamentals match the share price.

See our latest analysis for Ballard Power Systems

Because Ballard Power Systems made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

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In the last 5 years Ballard Power Systems saw its revenue grow at 3.5% per year. Put simply, that growth rate fails to impress. Therefore, we're a little surprised to see the share price gain has been so strong, at 43% per year, compound, over the period. We don't think the growth over the period is that great, but it could be that faster growth appears to some to be on the horizon. It's not immediately obvious to us why the market has been so enthusiastic about the stock, but a more detailed look at revenue and profit trends might reveal why shareholders are optimistic.

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

earnings-and-revenue-growth
earnings-and-revenue-growth

Ballard Power Systems is well known by investors, and plenty of clever analysts have tried to predict the future profit levels. You can see what analysts are predicting for Ballard Power Systems in this interactive graph of future profit estimates.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 31% in the last year, Ballard Power Systems shareholders lost 27%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 43% per year over half a decade. 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. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Ballard Power Systems better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Ballard Power Systems you should be aware of.

If you are like me, then you will 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 CA exchanges.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.