In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it’s worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in Willas-Array Electronics (Holdings) Limited (SGX:BDR), since the last five years saw the share price fall 59%. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 50% over the last twelve months. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 38% in the last 90 days. Of course, this share price action may well have been influenced by the 27% decline in the broader market, throughout the period.
View our latest analysis for Willas-Array Electronics (Holdings)
While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.
In the last half decade Willas-Array Electronics (Holdings) saw its share price fall as its EPS declined below zero. Since the company has fallen to a loss making position, it’s hard to compare the change in EPS with the share price change. But we would generally expect a lower price, given the situation.
You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).
It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Willas-Array Electronics (Holdings)’s earnings, revenue and cash flow.
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. It’s fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. As it happens, Willas-Array Electronics (Holdings)’s TSR for the last 5 years was -47%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there’s no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!
A Different Perspective
While the broader market lost about 24% in the twelve months, Willas-Array Electronics (Holdings) shareholders did even worse, losing 47% (even including dividends) . Having said that, it’s inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year’s performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 12% over the last half decade. 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. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. To that end, you should learn about the 5 warning signs we’ve spotted with Willas-Array Electronics (Holdings) (including 2 which is can’t be ignored) .
Of course Willas-Array Electronics (Holdings) may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on SG exchanges.
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.
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