Even though Phihong Technology (TWSE:2457) has lost NT$2.1b market cap in last 7 days, shareholders are still up 355% over 5 years

Phihong Technology Co., Ltd. (TWSE:2457) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 29% in the last quarter. But that doesn't undermine the fantastic longer term performance (measured over five years). Indeed, the share price is up a whopping 345% in that time. So it might be that some shareholders are taking profits after good performance. Of course what matters most is whether the business can improve itself sustainably, thus justifying a higher price. While the long term returns are impressive, we do have some sympathy for those who bought more recently, given the 51% drop, in the last year.

In light of the stock dropping 15% in the past week, we want to investigate the longer term story, and see if fundamentals have been the driver of the company's positive five-year return.

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There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

During the last half decade, Phihong Technology became profitable. Sometimes, the start of profitability is a major inflection point that can signal fast earnings growth to come, which in turn justifies very strong share price gains.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Phihong Technology's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

What About The Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We've already covered Phihong Technology's share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). 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. Phihong Technology's TSR of 355% for the 5 years exceeded its share price return, because it has paid dividends.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 8.1% in the last year, Phihong Technology shareholders lost 51%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 35%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. 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. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for Phihong Technology that you should be aware of before investing here.

But note: Phihong Technology 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 Taiwanese exchanges.

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This article by Simply Wall St 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. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.