Alfa Financial Software Holdings (LON:ALFA) Share Prices Have Dropped 76% In The Last Three Years
Alfa Financial Software Holdings PLC (LON:ALFA) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 26% in the last quarter. But that is meagre solace in the face of the shocking decline over three years. In that time the share price has melted like a snowball in the desert, down 76%. So it's about time shareholders saw some gains. But the more important question is whether the underlying business can justify a higher price still.
View our latest analysis for Alfa Financial Software Holdings
While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just 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 unfortunate three years of share price decline, Alfa Financial Software Holdings actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 8.4% per year. This is quite a puzzle, and suggests there might be something temporarily buoying the share price. Or else the company was over-hyped in the past, and so its growth has disappointed.
Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics.
Arguably the revenue decline of 11% per year has people thinking Alfa Financial Software Holdings is shrinking. After all, if revenue keeps shrinking, it may be difficult to find earnings growth in the future.
You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).
We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. It's always worth keeping an eye on CEO pay, but a more important question is whether the company will grow earnings throughout the years. So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts
What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?
We've already covered Alfa Financial Software Holdings' 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. We note that Alfa Financial Software Holdings' TSR, at -73% is higher than its share price return of -76%. When you consider it hasn't been paying a dividend, this data suggests shareholders have benefitted from a spin-off, or had the opportunity to acquire attractively priced shares in a discounted capital raising.
A Different Perspective
We're pleased to report that Alfa Financial Software Holdings rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 20% over the last year. That certainly beats the loss of about 20% per year over three years. It could well be that the business has turned around -- or else regained the confidence of investors. 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 Alfa Financial Software Holdings that you should be aware of before investing here.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB exchanges.
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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