Investors in Spero Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SPRO) have unfortunately lost 90% over the last three years
It's not possible to invest over long periods without making some bad investments. But you want to avoid the really big losses like the plague. So consider, for a moment, the misfortune of Spero Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPRO) investors who have held the stock for three years as it declined a whopping 90%. That would be a disturbing experience. Unfortunately the share price momentum is still quite negative, with prices down 17% in thirty days. 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.
So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.
Check out our latest analysis for Spero Therapeutics
Because Spero Therapeutics made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.
Over three years, Spero Therapeutics grew revenue at 51% per year. That's well above most other pre-profit companies. So why has the share priced crashed 24% per year, in the same time? You'd want to take a close look at the balance sheet, as well as the losses. Sometimes fast revenue growth doesn't lead to profits. Unless the balance sheet is strong, the company might have to raise capital.
The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).
Balance sheet strength is crucial. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.
A Different Perspective
We're pleased to report that Spero Therapeutics shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 88% over one year. There's no doubt those recent returns are much better than the TSR loss of 14% per year over five years. The long term loss makes us cautious, but the short term TSR gain certainly hints at a brighter future. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Spero Therapeutics better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Spero Therapeutics (1 is significant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.
But note: Spero Therapeutics may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).
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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