Creative Media & Community Trust (NASDAQ:CMCT) shareholders have endured a 57% loss from investing in the stock three years ago
If you are building a properly diversified stock portfolio, the chances are some of your picks will perform badly. But long term Creative Media & Community Trust Corporation (NASDAQ:CMCT) shareholders have had a particularly rough ride in the last three year. Unfortunately, they have held through a 88% decline in the share price in that time. While a drop like that is definitely a body blow, money isn't as important as health and happiness.
So let's have a look and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business' progress.
View our latest analysis for Creative Media & Community Trust
While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).
We know that Creative Media & Community Trust has been profitable in the past. On the other hand, it reported a trailing twelve months loss, suggesting it isn't reliably profitable. Other metrics may better explain the share price move.
We note that the dividend has declined - a likely contributor to the share price drop. This situation was no doubt compounded by the fact revenue is down 32% per year over three years.
The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.
What About Dividends?
It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. As it happens, Creative Media & Community Trust's TSR for the last 3 years was -57%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!
A Different Perspective
Although it hurts that Creative Media & Community Trust returned a loss of 11% in the last twelve months, the broader market was actually worse, returning a loss of 14%. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it's worse than the annualised loss of 7% over the last half decade. While some investors do well specializing in buying companies that are struggling (but nonetheless undervalued), don't forget that Buffett said that 'turnarounds seldom turn'. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Creative Media & Community Trust (1 is a bit unpleasant) that you should be aware of.
If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.
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