Yahoo Finance PAR Technology's (NYSE:PAR) investors will be pleased with their solid 167% return over the last five years
Some PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE:PAR) shareholders are probably rather concerned to see the share price fall 31% over the last three months. But in stark contrast, the returns over the last half decade have impressed. It's fair to say most would be happy with 163% the gain in that time. We think it's more important to dwell on the long term returns than the short term returns. Of course, that doesn't necessarily mean it's cheap now. Unfortunately not all shareholders will have held it for the long term, so spare a thought for those caught in the 54% decline over the last twelve months.
Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.
Check out our latest analysis for PAR Technology
Because PAR Technology made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.
In the last 5 years PAR Technology saw its revenue grow at 5.4% per year. That's not a very high growth rate considering the bottom line. So we wouldn't have expected to see the share price to have lifted 21% for each year during that time, but that's what happened. While we wouldn't be overly concerned, it might be worth checking whether you think the fundamental business gains really justify the share price action. Some might suggest that the sentiment around the stock is rather positive.
The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized 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. You can see what analysts are predicting for PAR Technology in this interactive graph of future profit estimates.
What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?
We've already covered PAR Technology's share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). 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. PAR Technology hasn't been paying dividends, but its TSR of 167% exceeds its share price return of 163%, implying it has either spun-off a business, or raised capital at a discount; thereby providing additional value to shareholders.
A Different Perspective
While the broader market lost about 21% in the twelve months, PAR Technology shareholders did even worse, losing 54%. 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. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 22%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand PAR Technology better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with PAR Technology , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
We will like PAR Technology better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies 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 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.
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