If You Had Bought Metropolitan Bank Holding's (NYSE:MCB) Shares A Year Ago You Would Be Down 27%

In this article:

Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (NYSE:MCB) shareholders will doubtless be very grateful to see the share price up 34% in the last quarter. But that is minimal compensation for the share price under-performance over the last year. In fact, the price has declined 27% in a year, falling short of the returns you could get by investing in an index fund.

View our latest analysis for Metropolitan Bank Holding

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.

During the unfortunate twelve months during which the Metropolitan Bank Holding share price fell, it actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 24%. Of course, the situation might betray previous over-optimism about growth.

It's surprising to see the share price fall so much, despite the improved EPS. But we might find some different metrics explain the share price movements better.

Metropolitan Bank Holding's revenue is actually up 32% over the last year. Since the fundamental metrics don't readily explain the share price drop, there might be an opportunity if the market has overreacted.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

earnings-and-revenue-growth
earnings-and-revenue-growth

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on Metropolitan Bank Holding

A Different Perspective

Metropolitan Bank Holding shareholders are down 27% for the year, but the broader market is up 23%. Of course the long term matters more than the short term, and even great stocks will sometimes have a poor year. Shareholders have lost 6% per year over the last three years, so the share price drop has become steeper, over the last year; a potential symptom of as yet unsolved challenges. Although Baron Rothschild famously said to "buy when there's blood in the streets, even if the blood is your own", he also focusses on high quality stocks with solid prospects. 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Metropolitan Bank Holding .

Metropolitan Bank Holding 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.

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

Advertisement