Yahoo Finance De La Rue's(LON:DLAR) Share Price Is Down 77% Over The Past Three Years.
Every investor on earth makes bad calls sometimes. But really bad investments should be rare. So spare a thought for the long term shareholders of De La Rue plc (LON:DLAR); the share price is down a whopping 77% in the last three years. That would be a disturbing experience. And more recent buyers are having a tough time too, with a drop of 32% in the last year. The silver lining is that the stock is up 3.4% in about a week.
See our latest analysis for De La Rue
In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).
De La Rue saw its EPS decline at a compound rate of 11% per year, over the last three years. This reduction in EPS is slower than the 38% annual reduction in the share price. So it's likely that the EPS decline has disappointed the market, leaving investors hesitant to buy. This increased caution is also evident in the rather low P/E ratio, which is sitting at 4.46.
You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).
It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on De La Rue's earnings, revenue and cash flow.
What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?
Investors should note that there's a difference between De La Rue's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. 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. Dividends have been really beneficial for De La Rue shareholders, and that cash payout explains why its total shareholder loss of 74%, over the last 3 years, isn't as bad as the share price return.
A Different Perspective
While the broader market lost about 9.2% in the twelve months, De La Rue shareholders did even worse, losing 32%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 10% per year over five years. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. 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 De La Rue that you should be aware of before investing here.
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB exchanges.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.
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