TWL Holdings Berhad (KLSE:TWL) shareholders have endured a 62% loss from investing in the stock five years ago

TWL Holdings Berhad (KLSE:TWL) shareholders will doubtless be very grateful to see the share price up 57% in the last quarter. But don't envy holders -- looking back over 5 years the returns have been really bad. Indeed, the share price is down 66% in the period. So we're not so sure if the recent bounce should be celebrated. However, in the best case scenario (far from fait accompli), this improved performance might be sustained.

So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.

See our latest analysis for TWL Holdings Berhad

TWL Holdings Berhad wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect 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, TWL Holdings Berhad saw its revenue increase by 25% per year. That's better than most loss-making companies. In contrast, the share price is has averaged a loss of 11% per year - that's quite disappointing. It's safe to say investor expectations are more grounded now. Given the revenue growth we'd consider the stock to be quite an interesting prospect if the company has a clear path to profitability.

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

This free interactive report on TWL Holdings Berhad's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

Investors should note that there's a difference between TWL Holdings Berhad's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. We note that TWL Holdings Berhad's TSR, at -62% is higher than its share price return of -66%. When you consider it hasn't been paying a dividend, this data suggests shareholders have benefitted from a spin-off, or had the opportunity to acquire attractively priced shares in a discounted capital raising.

A Different Perspective

Investors in TWL Holdings Berhad had a tough year, with a total loss of 15%, against a market gain of about 3.1%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Unfortunately, longer term shareholders are suffering worse, given the loss of 10% doled out over the last five years. We'd need to see some sustained improvements in the key metrics before we could muster much enthusiasm. 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. Even so, be aware that TWL Holdings Berhad is showing 4 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 3 of those are a bit concerning...

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 MY 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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