Did You Miss FPX Nickel's (CVE:FPX) 86% Share Price Gain?
FPX Nickel Corp. (CVE:FPX) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 24% in the last quarter. But don't let that distract from the very nice return generated over three years. To wit, the share price did better than an index fund, climbing 86% during that period.
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See our latest analysis for FPX Nickel
FPX Nickel 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). So it seems shareholders are too busy dreaming about the progress to come than dwelling on the current (lack of) revenue. For example, investors may be hoping that FPX Nickel finds some valuable resources, before it runs out of money.
As a general rule, if a company doesn't have much revenue, and it loses money, then it is a high risk investment. There is usually a significant chance that they will need more money for business development, putting them at the mercy of capital markets. So the share price itself impacts the value of the shares (as it determines the cost of capital). 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 FPX Nickel investors have already had a taste of the sweet taste stocks like this can leave in the mouth, as they gain popularity and attract speculative capital.
Our data indicates that FPX Nickel had CA$6,592,731 more in total liabilities than it had cash, when it last reported in December 2018. That makes it extremely high risk, in our view. So the fact that the stock is up 23% per year, over 3 years shows that high risks can lead to high rewards, sometimes. It's clear more than a few people believe in the potential. You can see in the image below, how FPX Nickel's cash levels have changed over time (click to see the values).
In reality it's hard to have much certainty when valuing a business that has neither revenue or profit. One thing you can do is check if company insiders are buying shares. If they are buying a significant amount of shares, that's certainly a good thing. You can click here to see if there are insiders buying.
A Different Perspective
FPX Nickel shareholders are down 3.7% for the year, but the market itself is up 1.6%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, longer term shareholders are suffering worse, given the loss of 4.1% doled out over the last five years. We'd need to see some sustained improvements in the key metrics before we could muster much enthusiasm. Shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CA 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.
