Some China Natural Resources (NASDAQ:CHNR) Shareholders Have Copped A Big 54% Share Price Drop
Statistically speaking, long term investing is a profitable endeavour. But along the way some stocks are going to perform badly. To wit, the China Natural Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHNR) share price managed to fall 54% over five long years. That's an unpleasant experience for long term holders. And it's not just long term holders hurting, because the stock is down 21% in the last year. It's down 4.7% in the last seven days.
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View our latest analysis for China Natural Resources
China Natural Resources didn't have any revenue in the last year, so it's fair to say it doesn't yet have a proven product (or at least not one people are paying for). This state of affairs suggests that venture capitalists won't provide funds on attractive terms. So it seems that the investors focused more on what could be, than paying attention to the current revenues (or lack thereof). For example, investors may be hoping that China Natural Resources finds some valuable resources, before it runs out of money.
Companies that lack both meaningful revenue and profits are usually considered high risk. You should be aware that there is always a chance that this sort of company will need to issue more shares to raise money to continue pursuing its business plan. 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. Some China Natural Resources investors have already had a taste of the bitterness stocks like this can leave in the mouth.
China Natural Resources had liabilities exceeding cash by CN¥22,728,000 when it last reported in December 2018, according to our data. That puts it in the highest risk category, according to our analysis. But with the share price diving 14% per year, over 5 years, it's probably fair to say that some shareholders no longer believe the company will succeed. You can see in the image below, how China Natural Resources's cash levels have changed over time (click to see the values).
It can be extremely risky to invest in a company that doesn't even have revenue. There's no way to know its value easily. Would it bother you if insiders were selling the stock? It would bother me, that's for sure. You can click here to see if there are insiders selling.
A Different Perspective
While the broader market gained around 3.8% in the last year, China Natural Resources shareholders lost 21%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 14% over the last half decade. We realise that Buffett has said investors should 'buy when there is blood on the streets', but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality businesses. You could get a better understanding of China Natural Resources's growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.
Of course China Natural Resources may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US 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.
