Proteomics International Laboratories Limited (ASX:PIQ) shareholders have seen the share price descend 14% over the month. But that scarcely detracts from the really solid long term returns generated by the company over five years. We think most investors would be happy with the 215% return, over that period. So while it's never fun to see a share price fall, it's important to look at a longer time horizon. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean it's cheap now.

So let's investigate and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

View our latest analysis for Proteomics International Laboratories

Proteomics International Laboratories wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually desire strong revenue growth. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one would hope for good top-line growth to make up for the lack of earnings.

In the last 5 years Proteomics International Laboratories saw its revenue grow at 5.7% per year. Put simply, that growth rate fails to impress. In comparison, the share price rise of 26% per year over the last half a decade is pretty impressive. Shareholders should be pretty happy with that, although interested investors might want to examine the financial data more closely to see if the gains are really justified. It may be that the market is pretty optimistic about Proteomics International Laboratories.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

If you are thinking of buying or selling Proteomics International Laboratories stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet.

A Different Perspective

Proteomics International Laboratories shareholders are up 1.5% for the year. Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. On the bright side, the longer term returns (running at about 26% a year, over half a decade) look better. It's quite possible the business continues to execute with prowess, even as the share price gains are slowing. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should be aware of the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Proteomics International Laboratories .