Investors in Enviva (NYSE:EVA) have unfortunately lost 81% over the last year

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Enviva Inc. (NYSE:EVA) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 16% in the last month. But that hardly compensates for the shocking decline over the last twelve months. To wit, the stock has dropped 81% over the last year. It's not uncommon to see a bounce after a drop like that. The important thing is whether the company can turn it around, longer term. We really hope anyone holding through that price crash has a diversified portfolio. Even when you lose money, you don't have to lose the lesson.

It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that.

Check out our latest analysis for Enviva

Given that Enviva 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. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

Enviva grew its revenue by 9.4% over the last year. That's not a very high growth rate considering it doesn't make profits. Nonetheless, it's fair to say the 81% share price implosion is unexpected.. Clearly the market was expecting better, and this may blow out projections of profitability. If and only if this company is still likely to succeed, just a little slower, this could be a good opportunity.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

earnings-and-revenue-growth
earnings-and-revenue-growth

It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. You can see what analysts are predicting for Enviva in this interactive graph of future profit estimates.

A Different Perspective

Investors in Enviva had a tough year, with a total loss of 81%, against a market gain of about 14%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 7% per year over five years. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Even so, be aware that Enviva is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 2 of those are significant...

Enviva 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 American exchanges.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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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