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If you are building a properly diversified stock portfolio, the chances are some of your picks will perform badly. But long term Batero Gold Corp. (CVE:BAT) shareholders have had a particularly rough ride in the last three year. Sadly for them, the share price is down 61% in that time. And over the last year the share price fell 21%, so we doubt many shareholders are delighted.
See our latest analysis for Batero Gold
Batero Gold hasn't yet reported any revenue yet, so it's as much a business idea as an actual business. We can't help wondering why it's publicly listed so early in its journey. Are venture capitalists not interested? 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 Batero Gold finds some valuable resources, before it runs out of money.
Companies that lack both meaningful revenue and profits are usually considered high risk. 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 companies like this go on to deliver on their plan, making good money for shareholders, many end in painful losses and eventual de-listing. It certainly is a dangerous place to invest, as Batero Gold investors might realise.
When it last reported its balance sheet in February 2019, Batero Gold could boast a strong position, with cash in excess of all liabilities of CA$8.1m. This gives management the flexibility to drive business growth, without worrying too much about cash reserves. But since the share price has dropped 27% per year, over 3 years, it seems like the market might have been over-excited previously. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Batero Gold's cash levels have changed over time.
In reality it's hard to have much certainty when valuing a business that has neither revenue or profit. Would it bother you if insiders were selling the stock? I'd like that just about as much as I like to drink milk and fruit juice mixed together. It costs nothing but a moment of your time to see if we are picking up on any insider selling.
A Different Perspective
While the broader market gained around 2.5% in the last year, Batero Gold shareholders lost 21%. 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. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 9.4% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. Shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.