We believe investing is smart because history shows that stock markets go higher in the long term. But if when you choose to buy stocks, some of them will be below average performers. Unfortunately for shareholders, while the ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP) share price is up 28% in the last year, that falls short of the market return. Zooming out, the stock is actually down 22% in the last three years.

See our latest analysis for ConocoPhillips

Because ConocoPhillips 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. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.

In the last year ConocoPhillips saw its revenue shrink by 42%. Given the revenue reduction the modest 28% share price rise over the year seems pretty decent. We'd want to see progress to profitability before getting too interested in this stock.

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

ConocoPhillips is well known by investors, and plenty of clever analysts have tried to predict the future profit levels. So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of ConocoPhillips, it has a TSR of 34% for the last year. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

A Different Perspective

ConocoPhillips shareholders gained a total return of 34% during the year. But that was short of the market average. The silver lining is that the gain was actually better than the average annual return of 7% per year over five year. This suggests the company might be improving over time. 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 ConocoPhillips is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about...

Of course ConocoPhillips may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.

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

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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