Investing in i3 Verticals (NASDAQ:IIIV) three years ago would have delivered you a 15% gain

Low-cost index funds make it easy to achieve average market returns. But in any diversified portfolio of stocks, you'll see some that fall short of the average. Unfortunately for shareholders, while the i3 Verticals, Inc. (NASDAQ:IIIV) share price is up 15% in the last three years, that falls short of the market return. Zooming in, the stock is actually down 15% in the last year.

With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.

See our latest analysis for i3 Verticals

Given that i3 Verticals 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 fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

In the last 3 years i3 Verticals saw its revenue shrink by 24% per year. The falling revenue is arguably somewhat reflected in the lacklustre return of 5% per year over three years, which falls short of the market return. Profit focussed investors would generally avoid a company with falling revenue and zero profits, since it's hard to imagine when profit might come.

You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

earnings-and-revenue-growth

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. If you are thinking of buying or selling i3 Verticals stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

A Different Perspective

i3 Verticals shareholders are down 15% for the year, falling short of the market return. The market shed around 6.9%, no doubt weighing on the stock price. Investors are up over three years, booking 5% per year, much better than the more recent returns. The recent sell-off could be an opportunity if the business remains sound, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long-term growth trend. 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. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for i3 Verticals that you should be aware of.

i3 Verticals is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

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.