Is Huazhang Technology Holding's (HKG:1673) 205% Share Price Increase Well Justified?
Want to participate in a research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and earn a $60 gift card!
When you buy a stock there is always a possibility that it could drop 100%. But on the bright side, you can make far more than 100% on a really good stock. Long term Huazhang Technology Holding Limited (HKG:1673) shareholders would be well aware of this, since the stock is up 205% in five years. It's also good to see the share price up 25% over the last quarter. But this could be related to the strong market, which is up 17% in the last three months.
See our latest analysis for Huazhang Technology Holding
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 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).
Huazhang Technology Holding's earnings per share are down 2.0% per year, despite strong share price performance over five years. This was, in part, due to extraordinary items impacting earning in the last twelve months. So it's hard to argue that the earnings per share are the best metric to judge the company, as it may not be optimized for profits at this point. 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.
We doubt the modest 0.7% dividend yield is attracting many buyers to the stock. On the other hand, Huazhang Technology Holding's revenue is growing nicely, at a compound rate of 23% over the last five years. In that case, the company may be sacrificing current earnings per share to drive growth.
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'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. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Huazhang Technology Holding's earnings, revenue and cash flow.
What About Dividends?
As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). 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. We note that for Huazhang Technology Holding the TSR over the last 5 years was 220%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!
A Different Perspective
It's nice to see that Huazhang Technology Holding shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 11% over the last year. And that does include the dividend. However, the TSR over five years, coming in at 26% per year, is even more impressive. Potential buyers might understandably feel they've missed the opportunity, but it's always possible business is still firing on all cylinders. Before spending more time on Huazhang Technology Holding it might be wise to click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling shares.
Of course Huazhang Technology Holding may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK 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.
