The simplest way to invest in stocks is to buy exchange traded funds. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. To wit, the Bohai Automotive Systems CO., LTD. (SHSE:600960) share price is 30% higher than it was a year ago, much better than the market decline of around 5.7% (not including dividends) in the same period. If it can keep that out-performance up over the long term, investors will do very well! The longer term returns have not been as good, with the stock price only 23% higher than it was three years ago.

Since the stock has added CN¥437m to its market cap in the past week alone, let's see if underlying performance has been driving long-term returns.

View our latest analysis for Bohai Automotive Systems

Given that Bohai Automotive Systems didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.

Bohai Automotive Systems grew its revenue by 15% last year. That's a fairly respectable growth rate. Buyers pushed the share price 30% in response, which isn't unreasonable. If revenue stays on trend, there may be plenty more share price gains to come. But before deciding this growth stock is underappreciated, you might want to check out profitability trends (and cash flow)

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. It's always worth keeping an eye on CEO pay, but a more important question is whether the company will grow earnings throughout the years. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Bohai Automotive Systems' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Bohai Automotive Systems shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 30% over one year. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 3% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. 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 learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Bohai Automotive Systems (including 1 which doesn't sit too well with us) .

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Chinese 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.