Hainan Shennong Seed Industry Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:300189) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 27% in the last month. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last three years have been disappointing. Indeed, the share price is down a tragic 56% in the last three years. So it's good to see it climbing back up. Perhaps the company has turned over a new leaf.

On a more encouraging note the company has added CN¥420m to its market cap in just the last 7 days, so let's see if we can determine what's driven the three-year loss for shareholders.

Because Hainan Shennong Seed Industry Technology made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally hope to see good 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.

Over three years, Hainan Shennong Seed Industry Technology grew revenue at 8.8% per year. That's a fairly respectable growth rate. That contrasts with the weak share price, which has fallen 16% compounded, over three years. To be frank we're surprised to see revenue growth and share price growth diverge so strongly. It would be well worth taking a closer look at the company, to determine growth trends (and balance sheet strength).

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

Balance sheet strength is crucial. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Hainan Shennong Seed Industry Technology shareholders are down 44% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 19%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 5% per year over five years. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. 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. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Hainan Shennong Seed Industry Technology you should be aware of.

For those who like to find winning investments this free list of undervalued 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.