Some Western Energy Services (TSE:WRG) Shareholders Have Copped A 97% Share Price Wipe Out
We're definitely into long term investing, but some companies are simply bad investments over any time frame. We don't wish catastrophic capital loss on anyone. For example, we sympathize with anyone who was caught holding Western Energy Services Corp. (TSE:WRG) during the five years that saw its share price drop a whopping 97%. And some of the more recent buyers are probably worried, too, with the stock falling 69% in the last year. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 10% in the last 90 days.
While a drop like that is definitely a body blow, money isn't as important as health and happiness.
Check out our latest analysis for Western Energy Services
Given that Western Energy Services 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. 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 five years Western Energy Services saw its revenue shrink by 21% per year. That's definitely a weaker result than most pre-profit companies report. So it's not that strange that the share price dropped 50% per year in that 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).
You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.
A Different Perspective
Investors in Western Energy Services had a tough year, with a total loss of 69%, against a market gain of about 7.8%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 49% per year over five years. 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. If you would like to research Western Energy Services in more detail then you might want to take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in the company.
But note: Western Energy Services 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 CA 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.
