Does comdirect bank AG's (ETR:COM) CEO Salary Reflect Performance?

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Arno Walter became the CEO of comdirect bank AG (ETR:COM) in 2015. First, this article will compare CEO compensation with compensation at similar sized companies. Next, we'll consider growth that the business demonstrates. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. The aim of all this is to consider the appropriateness of CEO pay levels.

View our latest analysis for comdirect bank

How Does Arno Walter's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies?

According to our data, comdirect bank AG has a market capitalization of €1.3b, and pays its CEO total annual compensation worth €814k. (This figure is for the year to December 2018). We think total compensation is more important but we note that the CEO salary is lower, at €470k. We examined companies with market caps from €888m to €2.8b, and discovered that the median CEO total compensation of that group was €1.4m.

Most shareholders would consider it a positive that Arno Walter takes less total compensation than the CEOs of most similar size companies, leaving more for shareholders. Though positive, it's important we delve into the performance of the actual business.

The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at comdirect bank has changed from year to year.

Is comdirect bank AG Growing?

comdirect bank AG has reduced its earnings per share by an average of 24% a year, over the last three years (measured with a line of best fit). The trailing twelve months of revenue was pretty much the same as the prior period.

Few shareholders would be pleased to read that earnings per share are lower over three years. And the flat revenue hardly impresses. So given this relatively weak performance, shareholders would probably not want to see high compensation for the CEO.

Has comdirect bank AG Been A Good Investment?

comdirect bank AG has served shareholders reasonably well, with a total return of 12% over three years. But they probably wouldn't be so happy as to think the CEO should be paid more than is normal, for companies around this size.

In Summary...

comdirect bank AG is currently paying its CEO below what is normal for companies of its size.

Shareholders should note that compensation for Arno Walter is under the median of a group of similar sized companies. However, the earnings per share are not moving in the right direction, and the returns to shareholders could have been better. So while shareholders shouldn't be overly concerned about CEO compensation, we suspect most would prefer see improved performance, before increasing pay. CEO compensation is one thing, but it is also interesting to check if the CEO is buying or selling comdirect bank (free visualization of insider trades).

If you want to buy a stock that is better than comdirect bank, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look.

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.