Want To Invest In Bank of Greece AE. (ATH:TELL)? Here's How It Performed Lately

Today I will take a look at Bank of Greece AE.'s (ATSE:TELL) most recent earnings update (31 December 2017) and compare these latest figures against its performance over the past few years, as well as how the rest of the diversified financial industry performed. As an investor, I find it beneficial to assess TELL’s trend over the short-to-medium term in order to gauge whether or not the company is able to meet its goals, and ultimately sustainably grow over time. Check out our latest analysis for Bank of Greece A.E

Commentary On TELL's Past Performance

I look at the ‘latest twelve-month’ data, which either annualizes the most recent 6-month earnings update, or in some cases, the most recent annual report is already the latest available financial data. This technique allows me to examine many different companies on a similar basis, using the latest information. For Bank of Greece A.E, its latest trailing-twelve-month earnings is €941.80M, which, relative to the prior year's level, has dropped by -13.78%. Given that these values may be relatively nearsighted, I have created an annualized five-year figure for Bank of Greece A.E's earnings, which stands at €728.28M This suggests that while earnings declined against the previous year, over the longer term, Bank of Greece A.E's profits have been growing on average.

What's enabled this growth? Well, let’s take a look at whether it is only a result of industry tailwinds, or if Bank of Greece A.E has seen some company-specific growth. In the past couple of years, Bank of Greece A.E grew its bottom line faster than revenue by efficiently controlling its costs. This has led to a margin expansion and profitability over time. Scanning growth from a sector-level, the GR diversified financial industry has been growing its average earnings by double-digit 17.75% over the previous twelve months, and 13.24% over the past five. This means that whatever uplift the industry is profiting from, Bank of Greece A.E has not been able to realize the gains unlike its industry peers.

What does this mean?

While past data is useful, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Companies that are profitable, but have unpredictable earnings, can have many factors influencing its business. I suggest you continue to research Bank of Greece A.E to get a more holistic view of the stock by looking at:

• 1. Financial Health: Is TELL’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.
• 2. Valuation: What is TELL worth today? Is the stock undervalued, even when its growth outlook is factored into its intrinsic value? The intrinsic value infographic in our free research report helps visualize whether TELL is currently mispriced by the market.
• 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 31 December 2017. This may not be consistent with full year annual report figures.

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Simply Wall St analyst Simply Wall St and Simply Wall St have no position in any of the companies mentioned. This article is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.