Yahoo Finance Mercury Systems (NASDAQ:MRCY shareholders incur further losses as stock declines 4.0% this week, taking three-year losses to 65%
If you love investing in stocks you're bound to buy some losers. Long term Mercury Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRCY) shareholders know that all too well, since the share price is down considerably over three years. Unfortunately, they have held through a 65% decline in the share price in that time. And more recent buyers are having a tough time too, with a drop of 43% in the last year. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 11% in the last 90 days.
If the past week is anything to go by, investor sentiment for Mercury Systems isn't positive, so let's see if there's a mismatch between fundamentals and the share price.
Check out our latest analysis for Mercury Systems
Because Mercury Systems made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.
Over three years, Mercury Systems grew revenue at 2.4% per year. That's not a very high growth rate considering it doesn't make profits. This uninspiring revenue growth has no doubt helped send the share price lower; it dropped 18% during the period. When a stock falls hard like this, some investors like to add the company to a watchlist (in case the business recovers, longer term). Keep in mind it isn't unusual for good businesses to have a tough time or a couple of uninspiring years.
The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
It's good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That's a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. If you are thinking of buying or selling Mercury Systems stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.
A Different Perspective
While the broader market gained around 23% in the last year, Mercury Systems shareholders lost 43%. 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 10% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild 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 business. 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 example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Mercury Systems that you should be aware of before investing here.
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American 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.
