It is a pleasure to report that the JetBlue Airways Corporation (NASDAQ:JBLU) is up 33% in the last quarter. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last half decade have been disappointing. Indeed, the share price is down 60% in the period. So we're not so sure if the recent bounce should be celebrated. But it could be that the fall was overdone.

On a more encouraging note the company has added US$156m to its market cap in just the last 7 days, so let's see if we can determine what's driven the five-year loss for shareholders.

View our latest analysis for JetBlue Airways

Because JetBlue Airways 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 fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

In the last half decade, JetBlue Airways saw its revenue increase by 13% per year. That's a pretty good rate for a long time period. The share price return isn't so respectable with an annual loss of 10% over the period. It seems probably that the business has failed to live up to initial expectations. A pessimistic market can create opportunities.

You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on JetBlue Airways

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that JetBlue Airways shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 47% over one year. Notably the five-year annualised TSR loss of 10% per year compares very unfavourably with the recent share price performance. We generally put more weight on the long term performance over the short term, but the recent improvement could hint at a (positive) inflection point within the business. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with JetBlue Airways .

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: most of them are flying under the radar).

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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