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Those Who Purchased San Leon Energy (LON:SLE) Shares Five Years Ago Have A 70% Loss To Show For It

We think intelligent long term investing is the way to go. But unfortunately, some companies simply don't succeed. For example the San Leon Energy plc (LON:SLE) share price dropped 70% over five years. That's an unpleasant experience for long term holders.

See our latest analysis for San Leon Energy

We don't think San Leon Energy's revenue of US$243,859 is enough to establish significant demand. We can't help wondering why it's publicly listed so early in its journey. Are venture capitalists not interested? So it seems shareholders are too busy dreaming about the progress to come than dwelling on the current (lack of) revenue. For example, they may be hoping that San Leon Energy finds fossil fuels with an exploration program, before it runs out of money.

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We think companies that have neither significant revenues nor profits are pretty high risk. There is almost always a chance they will need to raise more capital, and their progress - and share price - will dictate how dilutive that is to current holders. While some companies like this go on to deliver on their plan, making good money for shareholders, many end in painful losses and eventual de-listing. San Leon Energy has already given some investors a taste of the bitter losses that high risk investing can cause.

San Leon Energy had cash in excess of all liabilities of US$56m when it last reported (June 2019). That's not too bad but management may have to think about raising capital or taking on debt, unless the company is close to breaking even. With the share price down 21% per year, over 5 years , it seems likely that the need for cash is weighing on investors' minds. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how San Leon Energy's cash levels have changed over time. You can see in the image below, how San Leon Energy's cash levels have changed over time (click to see the values).

AIM:SLE Historical Debt, January 10th 2020
AIM:SLE Historical Debt, January 10th 2020

Of course, the truth is that it is hard to value companies without much revenue or profit. What if insiders are ditching the stock hand over fist? I would feel more nervous about the company if that were so. It only takes a moment for you to check whether we have identified any insider sales recently.

A Different Perspective

San Leon Energy shareholders are up 0.7% for the year. But that was short of the market average. On the bright side, that's still a gain, and it is certainly better than the yearly loss of about 21% endured over half a decade. So this might be a sign the business has turned its fortunes around. If you want to research this stock further, the data on insider buying is an obvious place to start. You can click here to see who has been buying shares - and the price they paid.

San Leon Energy is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

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

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.

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. Thank you for reading.