Can You Imagine How First Citizens BancShares' (NASDAQ:FCNC.A) Shareholders Feel About The 59% Share Price Increase?

First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCNC.A) shareholders have seen the share price descend 13% over the month. On the bright side the share price is up over the last half decade. Unfortunately its return of 59% is below the market return of 85%. Unfortunately not all shareholders will have held it for the long term, so spare a thought for those caught in the 25% decline over the last twelve months.

Check out our latest analysis for First Citizens BancShares

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

Over half a decade, First Citizens BancShares managed to grow its earnings per share at 18% a year. This EPS growth is higher than the 9.8% average annual increase in the share price. So one could conclude that the broader market has become more cautious towards the stock. This cautious sentiment is reflected in its (fairly low) P/E ratio of 8.81.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

This free interactive report on First Citizens BancShares' earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of First Citizens BancShares, it has a TSR of 62% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

A Different Perspective

Investors in First Citizens BancShares had a tough year, with a total loss of 25% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 15%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 10%, each year, over five years. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. If you would like to research First Citizens BancShares in more detail then you might want to take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in the company.

But note: First Citizens BancShares 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 US exchanges.

If you’re looking to trade First Citizens BancShares, open an account with the lowest-cost* platform trusted by professionals, Interactive Brokers. Their clients from over 200 countries and territories trade stocks, options, futures, forex, bonds and funds worldwide from a single integrated account. Promoted

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.
^*Interactive Brokers Rated Lowest Cost Broker by StockBrokers.com Annual Online Review 2020

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