The most you can lose on any stock (assuming you don't use leverage) is 100% of your money. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. For instance the Regis Healthcare Limited (ASX:REG) share price is 148% higher than it was three years ago. How nice for those who held the stock! Also pleasing for shareholders was the 18% gain in the last three months.

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

Check out our latest analysis for Regis Healthcare

Because Regis Healthcare 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 expect to see good revenue growth. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit.

Regis Healthcare's revenue trended up 4.0% each year over three years. Considering the company is losing money, we think that rate of revenue growth is uninspiring. In comparison, the share price rise of 35% per year over the last three years is pretty impressive. We'd need to take a closer look at the revenue and profit trends to see whether the improvements might justify that sort of increase. It seems likely that the market is pretty optimistic about Regis Healthcare, given it is losing money.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail). earnings-and-revenue-growth

If you are thinking of buying or selling Regis Healthcare stock, you should check out this FREEdetailed report on its balance sheet.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). 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. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Regis Healthcare the TSR over the last 3 years was 175%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!



A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Regis Healthcare shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 60% over the last year. Of course, that includes the dividend. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 3%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. 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. For instance, we've identified  1 warning sign for Regis Healthcare that you should be aware of.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this freelist 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 Australian 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.