As every investor would know, not every swing hits the sweet spot. But you have a problem if you face massive losses more than once in a while. So consider, for a moment, the misfortune of MicroPort Scientific Corporation (HKG:853) investors who have held the stock for three years as it declined a whopping 88%. That might cause some serious doubts about the merits of the initial decision to buy the stock, to put it mildly. And over the last year the share price fell 75%, so we doubt many shareholders are delighted. Furthermore, it's down 49% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway.

While the stock has risen 5.1% in the past week but long term shareholders are still in the red, let's see what the fundamentals can tell us.

View our latest analysis for MicroPort Scientific

MicroPort Scientific 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. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

In the last three years, MicroPort Scientific saw its revenue grow by 10% per year, compound. That's a fairly respectable growth rate. So it's hard to believe the share price decline of 24% per year is due to the revenue. More likely, the market was spooked by the cost of that revenue. This is exactly why investors need to diversify - even when a loss making company grows revenue, it can fail to deliver for shareholders.

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

This free interactive report on MicroPort Scientific's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that MicroPort Scientific shareholders are down 75% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 20%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 3% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. 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. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for MicroPort Scientific that you should be aware of.

Of course MicroPort Scientific may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.

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

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.