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The last three months have been tough on Vista Gold Corp. (NYSEMKT:VGZ) shareholders, who have seen the share price decline a rather worrying 33%. But at least the stock is up over the last five years. Unfortunately its return of 31% is below the market return of 55%.
Check out our latest analysis for Vista Gold
Vista Gold hasn't yet reported any revenue yet, so it's as much a business idea as an actual business. So it seems shareholders are too busy dreaming about the progress to come than dwelling on the current (lack of) revenue. For example, investors may be hoping that Vista Gold finds some valuable resources, before it runs out of money.
Companies that lack both meaningful revenue and profits are usually considered high risk. You should be aware that there is always a chance that this sort of company will need to issue more shares to raise money to continue pursuing its business plan. 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).
Vista Gold had cash in excess of all liabilities of US$10m 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 5.6% per year, over 5 years, its fair to say investors remain excited about the future, despite the potential need for cash. The image below shows how Vista Gold'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. One thing you can do is check if company insiders are buying shares. It's often positive if so, assuming the buying is sustained and meaningful. Luckily we are in a position to provide you with this free chart of insider buying (and selling).
A Different Perspective
Vista Gold shareholders are down 27% for the year, but the market itself is up 4.0%. 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. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 5.6% 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. Before spending more time on Vista Gold it might be wise to click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling shares.