Yahoo Finance UiPath (NYSE:PATH) shareholders have endured a 76% loss from investing in the stock a year ago
As every investor would know, you don't hit a homerun every time you swing. But it should be a priority to avoid stomach churning catastrophes, wherever possible. So spare a thought for the long term shareholders of UiPath Inc. (NYSE:PATH); the share price is down a whopping 76% in the last twelve months. That'd be enough to make even the strongest stomachs churn. UiPath may have better days ahead, of course; we've only looked at a one year period. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 27% in the last three months.
It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that.
View our latest analysis for UiPath
UiPath 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. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit.
UiPath grew its revenue by 35% over the last year. We think that is pretty nice growth. However, it seems like the market wanted more, since the share price is down 76%. One fear might be that the company might be losing too much money and will need to raise more. We'd posit that the future looks challenging, given the disconnect between revenue growth and the share price.
The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think UiPath will earn in the future (free profit forecasts).
A Different Perspective
UiPath shareholders are down 76% for the year, even worse than the market loss of 19%. There's no doubt that's a disappointment, but the stock may well have fared better in a stronger market. With the stock down 27% over the last three months, the market doesn't seem to believe that the company has solved all its problems. Given the relatively short history of this stock, we'd remain pretty wary until we see some strong business performance. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we've spotted with UiPath .
But note: UiPath may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US 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.
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