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Investing can be hard but the potential fo an individual stock to pay off big time inspires us. You won't get it right every time, but when you do, the returns can be truly splendid. For example, the Serko Limited (NZSE:SKO) share price is up a whopping 760% in the last three years, a handsome return for long term holders.
We love happy stories like this one. The company should be really proud of that performance!
See our latest analysis for Serko
We don't think that Serko's modest trailing twelve month profit has the market's full attention at the moment. We think revenue is probably a better guide. As a general rule, we think this kind of company is more comparable to loss-making stocks, since the actual profit is so low. For shareholders to have confidence a company will grow profits significantly, it must grow revenue.
Over the last three years Serko has grown its revenue at 20% annually. That's well above most pre-profit companies. And it's not just the revenue that is taking off. The share price is up 105% per year in that time. Despite the strong run, top performers like Serko have been known to go on winning for decades. In fact, it might be time to put it on your watchlist, if you're not already familiar with the stock.
The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
It is of course excellent to see how Serko has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.
A Different Perspective
Serko shareholders gained a total return of 16% during the year. But that was short of the market average. It's probably a good sign that the company has an even better long term track record, having provided shareholders with an annual TSR of 34% over five years. Maybe the share price is just taking a breather while the business executes on its growth strategy. Most investors take the time to check the data on insider transactions. You can click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling.
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 NZ exchanges.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.