Harte Hanks (NASDAQ:HHS) shareholders are still up 131% over 5 years despite pulling back 14% in the past week

Harte Hanks, Inc. (NASDAQ:HHS) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 15% in the last month. But that scarcely detracts from the really solid long term returns generated by the company over five years. We think most investors would be happy with the 131% return, over that period. We think it's more important to dwell on the long term returns than the short term returns. The more important question is whether the stock is too cheap or too expensive today.

Since the long term performance has been good but there's been a recent pullback of 14%, let's check if the fundamentals match the share price.

Check out our latest analysis for Harte Hanks

Harte Hanks wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually desire strong revenue growth. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one would hope for good top-line growth to make up for the lack of earnings.

Over the last half decade Harte Hanks' revenue has actually been trending down at about 2.1% per year. Given that scenario, we wouldn't have expected the share price to rise 18% per year, but that's what it did. It just goes to show tht the market is forward looking, and it's not always easy to predict the future based on past trends. Still, we are a bit cautious in this kind of situation.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think Harte Hanks will earn in the future (free profit forecasts).

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Harte Hanks shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 26% over one year. That's better than the annualised return of 18% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Harte Hanks better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Harte Hanks that you should be aware of.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of undervalued small cap companies that insiders are buying.

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