Strong week for EuropaCorp (EPA:ALECP) shareholders doesn't alleviate pain of five-year loss

It's nice to see the EuropaCorp (EPA:ALECP) share price up 20% in a week. But over the last half decade, the stock has not performed well. In fact, the share price is down 47%, which falls well short of the return you could get by buying an index fund.

While the stock has risen 20% in the past week but long term shareholders are still in the red, let's see what the fundamentals can tell us.

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Given that EuropaCorp 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 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 EuropaCorp saw its revenue shrink by 6.2% per year. While far from catastrophic that is not good. The stock hasn't done well for shareholders in the last five years, falling 8%, annualized. Unfortunately, though, it makes sense given the lack of either profits or revenue growth. Without profits, its hard to see how shareholders win if the revenue keeps falling.

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 EuropaCorp shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 38% over one year. Notably the five-year annualised TSR loss of 8% per year compares very unfavourably with the recent share price performance. 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 EuropaCorp better, we need to consider many other factors. Take risks, for example - EuropaCorp has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on French 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.