It is doubtless a positive to see that the Microvast Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:MVST) share price has gained some 408% in the last three months. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last half decade have been stomach churning. Indeed, the share price is down a whopping 85% in that time. The recent bounce might mean the long decline is over, but we are not confident. The important question is if the business itself justifies a higher share price in the long term. We really feel for shareholders in this scenario. It's a good reminder of the importance of diversification, and it's worth keeping in mind there's more to life than money, anyway.

Although the past week has been more reassuring for shareholders, they're still in the red over the last five years, so let's see if the underlying business has been responsible for the decline.

View our latest analysis for Microvast Holdings

Because Microvast Holdings 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. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one would hope for good top-line growth to make up for the lack of earnings.

Over five years, Microvast Holdings grew its revenue at 32% per year. That's better than most loss-making companies. So it's not at all clear to us why the share price sunk 13% throughout that time. It could be that the stock was over-hyped before. While there might be an opportunity here, you'd want to take a close look at the balance sheet strength.

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

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. This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on Microvast Holdings

A Different Perspective

Microvast Holdings shareholders have received returns of 24% over twelve months, which isn't far from the general market return. To take a positive view, the gain is pleasing, and it sure beats annualized TSR loss of 13%, which was endured over half a decade. While 'turnarounds seldom turn' there are green shoots for Microvast Holdings. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Microvast Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for Microvast Holdings (2 make us uncomfortable!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.

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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