Some Retail Food Group (ASX:RFG) Shareholders Have Copped A 99% Share Price Wipe Out

Some stocks are best avoided. We don't wish catastrophic capital loss on anyone. Spare a thought for those who held Retail Food Group Limited (ASX:RFG) for five whole years - as the share price tanked 99%. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 66% over the last twelve months. Unfortunately the share price momentum is still quite negative, with prices down 11% in thirty days.

We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway.

View our latest analysis for Retail Food Group

Retail Food Group 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. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

Over five years, Retail Food Group grew its revenue at 21% per year. That's better than most loss-making companies. So it's not at all clear to us why the share price sunk 59% throughout that time. You'd have to assume the market is worried that profits won't come soon enough. We'd recommend carefully checking for indications of future growth - and balance sheet threats - before considering a purchase.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

If you are thinking of buying or selling Retail Food Group stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet.

A Different Perspective

Retail Food Group shareholders are down 66% for the year, but the market itself is up 16%. 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 57% 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. 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. Be aware that Retail Food Group is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 2 of those are concerning...

But note: Retail Food Group 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 AU exchanges.

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.

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