Easy Come, Easy Go: How Avance Gas Holding (OB:AVANCE) Shareholders Got Unlucky And Saw 83% Of Their Cash Evaporate
Avance Gas Holding Ltd (OB:AVANCE) shareholders will doubtless be very grateful to see the share price up 43% in the last quarter. But will that repair the damage for the weary investors who have owned this stock as it declined over half a decade? Probably not. Five years have seen the share price descend precipitously, down a full 83%. The recent bounce might mean the long decline is over, but we are not confident. The fundamental business performance will ultimately determine if the turnaround can be sustained.
We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway.
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View our latest analysis for Avance Gas Holding
Given that Avance Gas Holding didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. 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 five years Avance Gas Holding saw its revenue shrink by 13% per year. That puts it in an unattractive cohort, to put it mildly. So it's not altogether surprising to see the share price down 30% per year in the same time period. We don't think this is a particularly promising picture. Ironically, that behavior could create an opportunity for the contrarian investor - but only if there are good reasons to predict a brighter future.
You can see how revenue and earnings have changed over time in the image below, (click on the chart to see cashflow).
It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. You can see what analysts are predicting for Avance Gas Holding in this interactive graph of future profit estimates.
A Dividend Lost
The value of past dividends are accounted for in the total shareholder return (TSR), but not in the share price return mentioned above. By accounting for the value of dividends paid, the TSR can be seen as a more complete measure of the value a company brings to its shareholders. Over the last 5 years, Avance Gas Holding generated a TSR of -71%, which is, of course, better than the share price return. Even though the company isn't paying dividends at the moment, it has done in the past.
A Different Perspective
It's good to see that Avance Gas Holding has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 4.8% in the last twelve months. That certainly beats the loss of about 22% per year over the last half decade. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. Investors who like to make money usually check up on insider purchases, such as the price paid, and total amount bought. You can find out about the insider purchases of Avance Gas Holding by clicking this link.
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do 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 NO exchanges.
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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.
