Atlas Arteria (ASX:ALX) Has Compensated Shareholders With A Respectable 69% Return On Their Investment

It hasn't been the best quarter for Atlas Arteria Limited (ASX:ALX) shareholders, since the share price has fallen 16% in that time. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last five years have been respectable. The share price is up 39%, which is better than the market return of 38%. While the long term returns are impressive, we do have some sympathy for those who bought more recently, given the 31% drop, in the last year.

View our latest analysis for Atlas Arteria

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just 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.

During five years of share price growth, Atlas Arteria actually saw its EPS drop 22% per year.

Essentially, it doesn't seem likely that investors are focused on EPS. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics.

On the other hand, Atlas Arteria's revenue is growing nicely, at a compound rate of 55% over the last five years. In that case, the company may be sacrificing current earnings per share to drive growth.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on Atlas Arteria

What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We've already covered Atlas Arteria's share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). Arguably the TSR is a more complete return calculation because it accounts for the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested), along with the hypothetical value of any discounted capital that have been offered to shareholders. Atlas Arteria's TSR of 69% for the 5 years exceeded its share price return, because it has paid dividends.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 6.5% in the twelve months, Atlas Arteria shareholders did even worse, losing 28%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 11% per year over half a decade. 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. 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. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Atlas Arteria (1 is potentially serious) that you should be aware of.

Atlas Arteria 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 AU 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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