For many, the main point of investing is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. So we wouldn't blame long term Ardent Leisure Group Limited (ASX:ALG) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 75% over a half decade. Unfortunately the share price momentum is still quite negative, with prices down 63% in thirty days.

Now let's have a look at the company's fundamentals, and see if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.

See our latest analysis for Ardent Leisure Group

Given that Ardent Leisure Group 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. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

In the last half decade, Ardent Leisure Group saw its revenue increase by 0.3% per year. That's not a very high growth rate considering it doesn't make profits. Nonetheless, it's fair to say the rapidly declining share price (down 12%, compound, over five years) suggests the market is very disappointed with this level of growth. While we're definitely wary of the stock, after that kind of performance, it could be an over-reaction. We'd recommend focussing any further research on the likelihood of profitability in the foreseeable future, given the muted revenue growth.

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

Take a more thorough look at Ardent Leisure Group's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet.

What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We've already covered Ardent Leisure Group's share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Its history of dividend payouts mean that Ardent Leisure Group's TSR, which was a 21% drop over the last 5 years, was not as bad as the share price return.

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that Ardent Leisure Group has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 59% in the last twelve months. That certainly beats the loss of about 4% per year over the last half decade. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Ardent Leisure Group better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Ardent Leisure Group you should know about.