In This Article:
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!
One simple way to benefit from the stock market is to buy an index fund. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. Just take a look at Bannerman Resources Limited (ASX:BMN), which is up 50%, over three years, soundly beating the market return of 25% (not including dividends).
Check out our latest analysis for Bannerman Resources
With just AU$2,000 worth of revenue in twelve months, we don't think the market considers Bannerman Resources to have proven its business plan. So it seems that the investors focused more on what could be, than paying attention to the current revenues (or lack thereof). It seems likely some shareholders believe that Bannerman Resources will discover or develop fossil fuel before too long.
Companies that lack both meaningful revenue and profits are usually considered high risk. There is almost always a chance they will need to raise more capital, and their progress - and share price - will dictate how dilutive that is to current holders. 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).
Bannerman Resources had cash in excess of all liabilities of AU$6.6m when it last reported (December 2018). 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. With the share price up 14% per year, over 3 years, the market is seems hopeful about the potential, despite the cash burn. You can click on the image below to see (in greater detail) how Bannerman Resources's cash levels have changed over time.
Of course, the truth is that it is hard to value companies without much revenue or profit. Given that situation, many of the best investors like to check if insiders have been buying shares. If they are buying a significant amount of shares, that's certainly a good thing. You can click here to see if there are insiders buying.
A Different Perspective
Investors in Bannerman Resources had a tough year, with a total loss of 18%, against a market gain of about 12%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 7.9% per year over five years. We realise that Buffett 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 businesses. You might want to assess this data-rich visualization of its earnings, revenue and cash flow.