Those Who Purchased Overstock.com (NASDAQ:OSTK) Shares A Year Ago Have A 59% Loss To Show For It
Even the best stock pickers will make plenty of bad investments. And there's no doubt that Overstock.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:OSTK) stock has had a really bad year. The share price has slid 59% in that time. However, the longer term returns haven't been so bad, with the stock down 2.2% in the last three years. Even worse, it's down 19% in about a month, which isn't fun at all.
View our latest analysis for Overstock.com
Because Overstock.com is loss-making, 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. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.
Overstock.com grew its revenue by 4.4% over the last year. While that may seem decent it isn't great considering the company is still making a loss. Without profits, and with revenue growth sluggish, you get a 59% loss for shareholders, over the year. Like many holders, we really want to see better revenue growth in companies that lose money. When a stock falls hard like this, it can signal an over-reaction. Our preference is to wait for a fundamental improvements before buying, but now could be a good time for some research.
Depicted in the graphic below, you'll see revenue and earnings over time. If you want more detail, you can click on the chart itself.
It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. You can see what analysts are predicting for Overstock.com in this interactive graph of future profit estimates.
A Different Perspective
Investors in Overstock.com had a tough year, with a total loss of 59%, against a market gain of about 9.3%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 1.5% over the last half decade. We realise that Buffett has said investors should 'buy when there is blood on the streets', but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality businesses. Most investors take the time to check the data on insider transactions. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.
If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US 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.
