The most you can lose on any stock (assuming you don't use leverage) is 100% of your money. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. For example, the Polarean Imaging plc (LON:POLX) share price has soared 209% in the last year. Most would be very happy with that, especially in just one year! On top of that, the share price is up 51% in about a quarter. Polarean Imaging hasn't been listed for long, so it's still not clear if it is a long term winner.

View our latest analysis for Polarean Imaging

Polarean Imaging 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. 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 the last twelve months, Polarean Imaging's revenue grew by 23%. That's a fairly respectable growth rate. The revenue growth is decent but the share price had an even better year, gaining 209%. Given that the business has made good progress on the top line, it would be worth taking a look at its path to profitability. Of course, we are always cautious about succumbing to 'fear of missing out' when a stock has shot up strongly.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Polarean Imaging's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Polarean Imaging shareholders have gained 209% over the last year. A substantial portion of that gain has come in the last three months, with the stock up 51% in that time. This suggests the company is continuing to win over new investors. 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. Even so, be aware that Polarean Imaging is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those makes us a bit uncomfortable...

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB exchanges.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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