Interested In Gyldendal A/S (CPH:GYLD B)? Here's How It Performed Recently

When Gyldendal A/S (CPSE:GYLD B) released its most recent earnings update (30 June 2019), I wanted to understand how these figures stacked up against its past performance. The two benchmarks I used were Gyldendal's average earnings over the past couple of years, and its industry performance. These are useful yardsticks to help me gauge whether or not GYLD B actually performed well. Below is a quick commentary on how I see GYLD B has performed.

View our latest analysis for Gyldendal

How Well Did GYLD B Perform?

GYLD B's trailing twelve-month earnings (from 30 June 2019) of ø21m has declined by -1.5% compared to the previous year.

Furthermore, this one-year growth rate has been lower than its average earnings growth rate over the past 5 years of -20%, indicating the rate at which GYLD B is growing has slowed down. Why is this? Well, let’s take a look at what’s going on with margins and if the entire industry is feeling the heat.

In terms of returns from investment, Gyldendal has fallen short of achieving a 20% return on equity (ROE), recording 5.9% instead. Furthermore, its return on assets (ROA) of 3.2% is below the DK Media industry of 4.6%, indicating Gyldendal's are utilized less efficiently. And finally, its return on capital (ROC), which also accounts for Gyldendal’s debt level, has declined over the past 3 years from 15% to 7.4%. This correlates with an increase in debt holding, with debt-to-equity ratio rising from 15% to 19% over the past 5 years.

What does this mean?

Though Gyldendal's past data is helpful, it is only one aspect of my investment thesis. In some cases, companies that endure a prolonged period of diminishing earnings are going through some sort of reinvestment phase However, if the whole industry is struggling to grow over time, it may be a indicator of a structural shift, which makes Gyldendal and its peers a riskier investment. You should continue to research Gyldendal to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at:

1. Future Outlook: What are well-informed industry analysts predicting for GYLD B’s future growth? Take a look at our free research report of analyst consensus for GYLD B’s outlook.
2. Financial Health: Are GYLD B’s operations financially sustainable? Balance sheets can be hard to analyze, which is why we’ve done it for you. Check out our financial health checks here.
3. Other High-Performing Stocks: Are there other stocks that provide better prospects with proven track records? Explore our free list of these great stocks here.

NB: Figures in this article are calculated using data from the trailing twelve months from 30 June 2019. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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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.