If You Had Bought Gore Street Energy Storage Fund (LON:GSF) Stock A Year Ago, You'd Be Sitting On A 11% Loss, Today
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The simplest way to benefit from a rising market is to buy an index fund. Active investors aim to buy stocks that vastly outperform the market - but in the process, they risk under-performance. Unfortunately the Gore Street Energy Storage Fund Plc (LON:GSF) share price slid 11% over twelve months. That falls noticeably short of the market return of around 0.6%. Gore Street Energy Storage Fund may have better days ahead, of course; we've only looked at a one year period. On the other hand, we note it's up 8.8% in about a month.
View our latest analysis for Gore Street Energy Storage Fund
Gore Street Energy Storage Fund hasn't yet reported any revenue yet, so it's as much a business idea as an actual business. This state of affairs suggests that venture capitalists won't provide funds on attractive terms. As a result, we think it's unlikely shareholders are paying much attention to current revenue, but rather speculating on growth in the years to come. Investors will be hoping that Gore Street Energy Storage Fund can make progress and gain better traction for the business, before it runs low on cash.
As a general rule, if a company doesn't have much revenue, and it loses money, then it is a high risk investment. You should be aware that there is always a chance that this sort of company will need to issue more shares to raise money to continue pursuing its business plan. While some companies like this go on to deliver on their plan, making good money for shareholders, many end in painful losses and eventual de-listing.
When it last reported its balance sheet in March 2019, Gore Street Energy Storage Fund could boast a strong position, with cash in excess of all liabilities of UK£17m. This gives management the flexibility to drive business growth, without worrying too much about cash reserves. But since the share price has dropped 11% in the last year, it seems like the market might have been over-excited previously. The image below shows how Gore Street Energy Storage Fund's balance sheet has changed over time; if you want to see the precise values, simply click on the image.
In reality it's hard to have much certainty when valuing a business that has neither revenue or profit. Given that situation, would you be concerned if it turned out insiders were relentlessly selling stock? It would bother me, that's for sure. It costs nothing but a moment of your time to see if we are picking up on any insider selling.
What About Dividends?
It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. 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. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Gore Street Energy Storage Fund, it has a TSR of -6.9% 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
Given that the market gained 0.6% in the last year, Gore Street Energy Storage Fund shareholders might be miffed that they lost 6.9% (even including dividends). However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. The share price decline has continued throughout the most recent three months, down 5.0%, suggesting an absence of enthusiasm from investors. Given the relatively short history of this stock, we'd remain pretty wary until we see some strong business performance. Keeping this in mind, a solid next step might be to take a look at Gore Street Energy Storage Fund's dividend track record. This free interactive graph is a great place to start.
If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB exchanges.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
