Range International Limited (ASX:RAN) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 25% in the last week. But that is meagre solace in the face of the shocking decline over three years. In that time the share price has melted like a snowball in the desert, down 99%. So it's about time shareholders saw some gains. The thing to think about is whether the business has really turned around.

We really hope anyone holding through that price crash has a diversified portfolio. Even when you lose money, you don't have to lose the lesson.

View our latest analysis for Range International

Because Range International 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. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.

Over three years, Range International grew revenue at 30% per year. That is faster than most pre-profit companies. So why has the share priced crashed 79% per year, in the same time? The share price makes us wonder if there is an issue with profitability. Sometimes fast revenue growth doesn't lead to profits. If the company is low on cash, it may have to raise capital soon.

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

It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Range International's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

The last twelve months weren't great for Range International shares, which performed worse than the market, costing holders 68%. Meanwhile, the broader market slid about 14%, likely weighing on the stock. Unfortunately, the longer term story isn't pretty, with investment losses running at 79% per year over three years. We'd need clear signs of growth in the underlying business before we could muster much enthusiasm for this one. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Range International better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 6 warning signs for Range International you should be aware of, and 3 of them are concerning.