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By buying an index fund, investors can approximate the average market return. But many of us dare to dream of bigger returns, and build a portfolio ourselves. For example, Hansa Resources Limited (CVE:HRL) shareholders have seen the share price rise 75% over three years, well in excess of the market return (13%, not including dividends).
Check out our latest analysis for Hansa Resources
Hansa Resources didn't have any revenue in the last year, so it's fair to say it doesn't yet have a proven product (or at least not one people are paying for). As a result, we think it's unlikely shareholders are paying much attention to current revenue, but rather speculating on growth in the years to come. For example, investors may be hoping that Hansa Resources finds some valuable resources, before it runs out of money.
As a general rule, if a company doesn't have much revenue, and it loses money, then it is a high risk investment. There is usually a significant chance that they will need more money for business development, putting them at the mercy of capital markets. So the share price itself impacts the value of the shares (as it determines the cost of capital). While some such companies do very well over the long term, others become hyped up by promoters before eventually falling back down to earth, and going bankrupt (or being recapitalized). Hansa Resources has already given some investors a taste of the sweet gains that high risk investing can generate, if your timing is right.
Hansa Resources had cash in excess of all liabilities of CA$511k when it last reported (March 2019). That's not too bad but management may have to think about raising capital or taking on debt, unless the company is close to breaking even. Given the share price has increased by a solid 21% per year, over 3 years, its fair to say investors remain excited about the future, despite the potential need for cash. The image below shows how Hansa Resources's balance sheet has changed over time; if you want to see the precise values, simply click on the image.
In reality it's hard to have much certainty when valuing a business that has neither revenue or profit. However you can take a look at whether insiders have been buying up shares. If they are buying a significant amount of shares, that's certainly a good thing. You can click here to see if there are insiders buying.
A Different Perspective
Hansa Resources shareholders are down 42% for the year, but the market itself is up 1.2%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 3.1% per year over half a decade. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. You could get a better understanding of Hansa Resources's growth by checking out this more detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.