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 example, the Castle Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSTL) share price had more than doubled in just one year - up 157%. On top of that, the share price is up 76% in about a quarter. Unfortunately the longer term returns are not so good, with the stock falling 45% in the last three years.

Since it's been a strong week for Castle Biosciences shareholders, let's have a look at trend of the longer term fundamentals.

Castle Biosciences 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. 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 would hope for good top-line growth to make up for the lack of earnings.

Over the last twelve months, Castle Biosciences' revenue grew by 72%. That's a head and shoulders above most loss-making companies. And the share price has responded, gaining 157% as we previously mentioned. It's great to see strong revenue growth, but the question is whether it can be sustained. Given the positive sentiment around the stock we're cautious, but there's no doubt its worth watching.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. It's always worth keeping an eye on CEO pay, but a more important question is whether the company will grow earnings throughout the years. So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Castle Biosciences shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 157% over the last year. That's better than the annualised return of 13% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. 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. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with Castle Biosciences (including 1 which can't be ignored) .

But note: Castle Biosciences may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

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