Unless you borrow money to invest, the potential losses are limited. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. For example, the Farm Pride Foods Limited (ASX:FRM) share price had more than doubled in just one year - up 251%. On top of that, the share price is up 79% in about a quarter. And shareholders have also done well over the long term, with an increase of 113% in the last three years.

Since the stock has added AU$8.1m to its market cap in the past week alone, let's see if underlying performance has been driving long-term returns.

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Given that Farm Pride Foods only made minimal earnings in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue to gauge its business development. Generally speaking, we'd consider a stock like this alongside loss-making companies, simply because the quantum of the profit is so low. For shareholders to have confidence a company will grow profits significantly, it must grow revenue.

Farm Pride Foods actually shrunk its revenue over the last year, with a reduction of 0.6%. We're a little surprised to see the share price pop 251% in the last year. It just goes to show the market doesn't always pay attention to the reported numbers. It's quite likely the revenue fall was already priced in, anyway.

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

This free interactive report on Farm Pride Foods' balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Farm Pride Foods shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 251% over the last year. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 7% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. 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. For example, we've discovered 3 warning signs for Farm Pride Foods (1 is concerning!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

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

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.