Did Cardtronics's (NASDAQ:CATM) Share Price Deserve to Gain 50%?
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Passive investing in index funds can generate returns that roughly match the overall market. But you can significantly boost your returns by picking above-average stocks. For example, the Cardtronics plc (NASDAQ:CATM) share price is up 50% in the last year, clearly besting than the market return of around 6.5% (not including dividends). That's a solid performance by our standards! On the other hand, longer term shareholders have had a tougher run, with the stock falling 2.4% in three years.
View our latest analysis for Cardtronics
To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. 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.
During the last year Cardtronics grew its earnings per share, moving from a loss to a profit. When a company has just transitioned to profitability, earnings per share growth is not always the best way to look at the share price action.
Cardtronics's revenue actually dropped 11% over last year. So using a snapshot of key business metrics doesn't give us a good picture of why the market is bidding up the stock.
Depicted in the graphic below, you'll see revenue and earnings over time. If you want more detail, you can click on the chart itself.
We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. If you are thinking of buying or selling Cardtronics stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.
A Different Perspective
We're pleased to report that Cardtronics shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 50% over one year. There's no doubt those recent returns are much better than the TSR loss of 2.7% per year over five years. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. It is all well and good that insiders have been buying shares, but we suggest you check here to see what price insiders were buying at.
Cardtronics is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.
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.
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. Thank you for reading.
