Frontline's (NYSE:FRO) investors will be pleased with their notable 64% return over the last five years

It might be of some concern to shareholders to see the Frontline Ltd. (NYSE:FRO) share price down 10% in the last month. But the silver lining is the stock is up over five years. However we are not very impressed because the share price is only up 30%, less than the market return of 88%.

So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 5 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns.

See our latest analysis for Frontline

Frontline isn't currently profitable, so most analysts would look to revenue growth to get an idea of how fast the underlying business is growing. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.

For the last half decade, Frontline can boast revenue growth at a rate of 9.3% per year. That's a pretty good long term growth rate. While the share price has gained 5% per year for five years, that's hardly amazing considering the market also rose. You could even argue that the share price was over optimistic, previously.

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

earnings-and-revenue-growth

Take a more thorough look at Frontline's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet.

What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between Frontline's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price return. The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Frontline's TSR of 64% for the 5 years exceeded its share price return, because it has paid dividends.

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that Frontline has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 3.3% in the last twelve months. Having said that, the five-year TSR of 10% a year, is even better. The pessimistic view would be that be that the stock has its best days behind it, but on the other hand the price might simply be moderating while the business itself continues to execute. 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. Like risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 3 warning signs for Frontline (of which 1 can't be ignored!) you should know about.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

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