Unfortunately, investing is risky - companies can and do go bankrupt. But if you pick the right stock, you can make a lot more than 100%. Take, for example Tutor Perini Corporation (NYSE:TPC). Its share price is already up an impressive 214% in the last twelve months. On top of that, the share price is up 58% in about a quarter. Also impressive, the stock is up 48% over three years, making long term shareholders happy, too.

Since the stock has added US$55m to its market cap in the past week alone, let's see if underlying performance has been driving long-term returns.

Tutor Perini isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

In the last year Tutor Perini saw its revenue grow by 15%. That's a fairly respectable growth rate. The revenue growth is decent but the share price had an even better year, gaining 214%. Given that the business has made good progress on the top line, it would be worth taking a look at its path to profitability. But investors need to be wary of how the 'fear of missing out' could influence them to buy without doing thorough research.

You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

If you are thinking of buying or selling Tutor Perini stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet.

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that Tutor Perini has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 214% in the last twelve months. That's better than the annualised return of 9% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. 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 2 warning signs for Tutor Perini that you should be aware of.

We will like Tutor Perini better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of undervalued stocks (mostly small caps) with considerable, recent, insider buying.

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.

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