The China Datang Corporation Renewable Power (HKG:1798) Share Price Is Down 26% So Some Shareholders Are Getting Worried
The simplest way to benefit from a rising market is to buy an index fund. While individual stocks can be big winners, plenty more fail to generate satisfactory returns. That downside risk was realized by China Datang Corporation Renewable Power Co., Limited (HKG:1798) shareholders over the last year, as the share price declined 26%. That contrasts poorly with the market return of -2.5%. Longer term investors have fared much better, since the share price is up 10.0% in three years.
See our latest analysis for China Datang Corporation Renewable Power
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...' One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.
Unfortunately China Datang Corporation Renewable Power reported an EPS drop of 6.7% for the last year. This reduction in EPS is not as bad as the 26% share price fall. This suggests the EPS fall has made some shareholders are more nervous about the business. The less favorable sentiment is reflected in its current P/E ratio of 4.91.
The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).
We know that China Datang Corporation Renewable Power has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? This free interactive report on China Datang Corporation Renewable Power's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.
What About Dividends?
As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of China Datang Corporation Renewable Power, it has a TSR of -24% for the last year. 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
We regret to report that China Datang Corporation Renewable Power shareholders are down 24% for the year (even including dividends) . Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 2.5%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 4.1% per year over five years. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. Shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
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 HK exchanges.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.
