Walsin Lihwa (TPE:1605) Has Gifted Shareholders With A Fantastic 177% Total Return On Their Investment

When you buy shares in a company, it's worth keeping in mind the possibility that it could fail, and you could lose your money. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. One great example is Walsin Lihwa Corporation (TPE:1605) which saw its share price drive 120% higher over five years.

Check out our latest analysis for Walsin Lihwa

To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' 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.

Over half a decade, Walsin Lihwa managed to grow its earnings per share at 35% a year. The EPS growth is more impressive than the yearly share price gain of 17% over the same period. So it seems the market isn't so enthusiastic about the stock these days. The reasonably low P/E ratio of 9.84 also suggests market apprehension.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

We know that Walsin Lihwa has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? If you're interested, you could check this free report showing consensus revenue forecasts.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. 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. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Walsin Lihwa, it has a TSR of 177% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

Walsin Lihwa provided a TSR of 24% over the last twelve months. But that was short of the market average. The silver lining is that the gain was actually better than the average annual return of 23% per year over five year. This suggests the company might be improving over time. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Walsin Lihwa better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Walsin Lihwa you should know about.

But note: Walsin Lihwa may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

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