Whole Shine Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (SZSE:002622) shareholders will doubtless be very grateful to see the share price up 101% in the last quarter. But that cannot eclipse the less-than-impressive returns over the last three years. After all, the share price is down 43% in the last three years, significantly under-performing the market.

While the stock has risen 41% in the past week but long term shareholders are still in the red, let's see what the fundamentals can tell us.

Because Whole Shine Medical 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. 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.

In the last three years, Whole Shine Medical Technology saw its revenue grow by 54% per year, compound. That is faster than most pre-profit companies. While its revenue increased, the share price dropped at a rate of 13% per year. That seems like an unlucky result for holders. It seems likely that actual growth fell short of shareholders' expectations. Before considering a purchase, investors should consider how quickly expenses are growing, relative to revenue.

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

You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.

A Different Perspective

Whole Shine Medical Technology shareholders are down 20% for the year, but the market itself is up 7.4%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 3% over the last half decade. 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. Even so, be aware that Whole Shine Medical Technology is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant...

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.