Yahoo Finance Strong week for Proterra (NASDAQ:PTRA) shareholders doesn't alleviate pain of one-year loss
Proterra Inc. (NASDAQ:PTRA) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 12% in the last month. But that's small comfort given the dismal price performance over the last year. Like a receding glacier in a warming world, the share price has melted 52% in that period. The share price recovery is not so impressive when you consider the fall. Of course, it could be that the fall was overdone.
Although the past week has been more reassuring for shareholders, they're still in the red over the last year, so let's see if the underlying business has been responsible for the decline.
Check out our latest analysis for Proterra
Proterra isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.
In the last year Proterra saw its revenue grow by 25%. We think that is pretty nice growth. Unfortunately it seems investors wanted more, because the share price is down 52% in that time. It is of course possible that the business will still deliver strong growth, it will just take longer than expected to do it. To our minds it isn't enough to just look at revenue, anyway. Always consider when profits will flow.
The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).
It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. If you are thinking of buying or selling Proterra stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.
A Different Perspective
We doubt Proterra shareholders are happy with the loss of 52% over twelve months. That falls short of the market, which lost 12%. That's disappointing, but it's worth keeping in mind that the market-wide selling wouldn't have helped. The share price decline has continued throughout the most recent three months, down 16%, suggesting an absence of enthusiasm from investors. Basically, most investors should be wary of buying into a poor-performing stock, unless the business itself has clearly improved. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Proterra better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Proterra .
But note: Proterra may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US 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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