Long term investing works well, but it doesn't always work for each individual stock. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. Spare a thought for those who held Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE:BHC) for five whole years - as the share price tanked 72%. On the other hand the share price has bounced 7.0% over the last week.

While the stock has risen 7.0% in the past week but long term shareholders are still in the red, let's see what the fundamentals can tell us.

Bausch Health Companies 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. 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.

Over five years, Bausch Health Companies grew its revenue at 1.6% per year. That's not a very high growth rate considering it doesn't make profits. It's not so sure that share price crash of 11% per year is completely deserved, but the market is doubtless disappointed. We'd be pretty cautious about this one, although the sell-off may be too severe. A company like this generally needs to produce profits before it can find favour with new investors.

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

Take a more thorough look at Bausch Health Companies' financial health with this free report on its balance sheet.

A Different Perspective

Bausch Health Companies shareholders gained a total return of 3.6% during the year. But that was short of the market average. On the bright side, that's still a gain, and it is certainly better than the yearly loss of about 11% endured over half a decade. So this might be a sign the business has turned its fortunes around. 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 1 warning sign for Bausch Health Companies that you should be aware of.

Of course Bausch Health Companies 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 American 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.