If You Had Bought Blue Apron Holdings' (NYSE:APRN) Shares Three Years Ago You Would Be Down 76%
While not a mind-blowing move, it is good to see that the Blue Apron Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:APRN) share price has gained 13% in the last three months. But only the myopic could ignore the astounding decline over three years. Indeed, the share price is down a whopping 76% in the last three years. So it sure is nice to see a bit of an improvement. But the more important question is whether the underlying business can justify a higher price still.
See our latest analysis for Blue Apron Holdings
Blue Apron Holdings wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit.
In the last three years Blue Apron Holdings saw its revenue shrink by 27% per year. That's definitely a weaker result than most pre-profit companies report. And as you might expect the share price has been weak too, dropping at a rate of 21% per year. Never forget that loss making companies with falling revenue can and do cause losses for everyday investors. There is a good reason that investors often describe buying a sharply falling stock price as 'trying to catch a falling knife'. Think about it.
The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).
It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts
A Different Perspective
The last twelve months weren't great for Blue Apron Holdings shares, which cost holders 47%, while the market was up about 75%. Of course the long term matters more than the short term, and even great stocks will sometimes have a poor year. Shareholders have lost 21% per year over the last three years, so the share price drop has become steeper, over the last year; a potential symptom of as yet unsolved challenges. We would be wary of buying into a company with unsolved problems, although some investors will buy into struggling stocks if they believe the price is sufficiently attractive. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Blue Apron Holdings you should know about.
Blue Apron Holdings 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 US exchanges.
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. 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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