It's not a secret that every investor will make bad investments, from time to time. But it should be a priority to avoid stomach churning catastrophes, wherever possible. So we hope that those who held Imperial Petroleum Inc. (NASDAQ:IMPP) during the last year don't lose the lesson, in addition to the 87% hit to the value of their shares. While some investors are willing to stomach this sort of loss, they are usually professionals who spread their bets thinly. We wouldn't rush to judgement on Imperial Petroleum because we don't have a long term history to look at. Furthermore, it's down 26% 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.

So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

See our latest analysis for Imperial Petroleum

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

Imperial Petroleum managed to increase earnings per share from a loss to a profit, over the last 12 months.

We're surprised that the share price is lower given that improvement. If the company can sustain the earnings growth, this might be an inflection point for the business, which would make right now a really interesting time to study it more closely.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

This free interactive report on Imperial Petroleum's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

We doubt Imperial Petroleum shareholders are happy with the loss of 87% over twelve months. That falls short of the market, which lost 15%. That's disappointing, but it's worth keeping in mind that the market-wide selling wouldn't have helped. The share price decline has continued throughout the most recent three months, down 26%, suggesting an absence of enthusiasm from investors. Basically, most investors should be wary of buying into a poor-performing stock, unless the business itself has clearly improved. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for Imperial Petroleum (2 are potentially serious) that you should be aware of.

Of course Imperial Petroleum 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 US exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.

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