Amidst increasing losses, Investors bid up Cytosorbents (NASDAQ:CTSO) 17% this past week

This week we saw the Cytosorbents Corporation (NASDAQ:CTSO) share price climb by 17%. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last year have been stomach churning. During that time the share price has plummeted like a stone, down 83%. It's not uncommon to see a bounce after a drop like that. The real question is whether the company can turn around its fortunes. While a drop like that is definitely a body blow, money isn't as important as health and happiness.

While the stock has risen 17% in the past week but long term shareholders are still in the red, let's see what the fundamentals can tell us.

See our latest analysis for Cytosorbents

Given that Cytosorbents 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. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

Cytosorbents' revenue didn't grow at all in the last year. In fact, it fell 16%. That's not what investors generally want to see. The share price fall of 83% in a year tells the story. Holders should not lose the lesson: loss making companies should grow revenue. Of course, extreme share price falls can be an opportunity for those who are willing to really dig deeper to understand a high risk company like this.

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

earnings-and-revenue-growth
earnings-and-revenue-growth

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. If you are thinking of buying or selling Cytosorbents stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Cytosorbents shareholders are down 83% 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 12% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. 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. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Cytosorbents (of which 1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) you should know about.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

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

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