Yahoo Finance Sophos Group (LON:SOPH) Shareholders Booked A 57% Gain In The Last Three Years
It might be of some concern to shareholders to see the Sophos Group plc (LON:SOPH) share price down 11% in the last month. But over three years, the returns would have left most investors smiling To wit, the share price did better than an index fund, climbing 57% during that period.
View our latest analysis for Sophos Group
To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.
During three years of share price growth, Sophos Group moved from a loss to profitability. That would generally be considered a positive, so we'd expect the share price to be up.
The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
We know that Sophos Group has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.
What About Dividends?
When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for Sophos Group the TSR over the last 3 years was 61%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!
A Different Perspective
Sophos Group shareholders are down 26% for the year (even including dividends), falling short of the market return. The market shed around 1.7%, no doubt weighing on the stock price. Investors are up over three years, booking 17% per year, much better than the more recent returns. The recent sell-off could be an opportunity if the business remains sound, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long-term growth trend. Before spending more time on Sophos Group it might be wise to click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling shares.
But note: Sophos Group 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 GB exchanges.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.
