New Universe Environmental Group's (HKG:436) Shareholders Are Down 58% On Their Shares

Generally speaking long term investing is the way to go. But that doesn't mean long term investors can avoid big losses. For example, after five long years the New Universe Environmental Group Limited (HKG:436) share price is a whole 58% lower. That's an unpleasant experience for long term holders. There was little comfort for shareholders in the last week as the price declined a further 1.9%.

View our latest analysis for New Universe Environmental Group

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. 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 five years over which the share price declined, New Universe Environmental Group's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 0.3% each year. Readers should note that the share price has fallen faster than the EPS, at a rate of 16% per year, over the period. This implies that the market is more cautious about the business these days. The less favorable sentiment is reflected in its current P/E ratio of 9.98.

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

Dive deeper into New Universe Environmental Group's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of New Universe Environmental Group'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 is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of New Universe Environmental Group, it has a TSR of -54% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

A Different Perspective

New Universe Environmental Group shareholders are up 11% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. On the bright side, that's still a gain, and it is certainly better than the yearly loss of about 9% endured over half a decade. So this might be a sign the business has turned its fortunes around. 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. Even so, be aware that New Universe Environmental Group is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is a bit concerning...

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK 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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