What Type Of Returns Would Malvern Bancorp's(NASDAQ:MLVF) Shareholders Have Earned If They Purchased Their SharesThree Years Ago?

Investing in stocks inevitably means buying into some companies that perform poorly. But the long term shareholders of Malvern Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:MLVF) have had an unfortunate run in the last three years. Unfortunately, they have held through a 51% decline in the share price in that time. And the ride hasn't got any smoother in recent times over the last year, with the price 44% lower in that time. It's down 4.2% in the last seven days.

See our latest analysis for Malvern Bancorp

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. 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.

During the three years that the share price fell, Malvern Bancorp's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 17% each year. The share price decline of 21% is actually steeper than the EPS slippage. So it seems the market was too confident about the business, in the past. This increased caution is also evident in the rather low P/E ratio, which is sitting at 11.62.

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

It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Malvern Bancorp's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

Investors in Malvern Bancorp had a tough year, with a total loss of 44%, against a market gain of about 8.9%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 3.5% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Malvern Bancorp you should be aware of.

Malvern Bancorp is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with 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. 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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