Investing in stocks inevitably means buying into some companies that perform poorly. Long term Lyft, Inc. (NASDAQ:LYFT) shareholders know that all too well, since the share price is down considerably over three years. Sadly for them, the share price is down 69% in that time. And the ride hasn’t got any smoother in recent times over the last year, with the price 69% lower in that time. Furthermore, it’s down 54% in about a quarter. That’s not much fun for holders. We note that the company has reported results fairly recently; and the market is hardly delighted. You can check out the latest numbers in our company report.
Given the past week has been tough on shareholders, let’s investigate the fundamentals and see what we can learn.
View our latest analysis for Lyft
Given that Lyft 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. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. That’s because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.
Over the last three years, Lyft’s revenue dropped 1.9% per year. That is not a good result. The share price decline of 19% compound, over three years, is understandable given the company doesn’t have profits to boast of, and revenue is moving in the wrong direction. Of course, it’s the future that will determine whether today’s price is a good one. We don’t generally like to own companies that lose money and can’t grow revenues. But any company is worth looking at when it makes a maiden profit.
The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
Lyft is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. Given we have quite a good number of analyst forecasts, it might be well worth checking out this free chart depicting consensus estimates.
A Different Perspective
Lyft shareholders are down 69% for the year, falling short of the market return. Meanwhile, the broader market slid about 10%, likely weighing on the stock. The three-year loss of 19% per year isn’t as bad as the last twelve months, suggesting that the company has not been able to convince the market it has solved its problems. We would be wary of buying into a company with unsolved problems, although some investors will buy into struggling stocks if they believe the price is sufficiently attractive. 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. Take risks, for example – Lyft has 3 warning signs we think you should be aware of.
But note: Lyft 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 US 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.
Read More: Shareholders in Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) have lost 69%, as stock drops 6.8% this past week