Introducing Manx Telecom, The Stock That Dropped 15% In The Last Three Years
While it may not be enough for some shareholders, we think it is good to see the Manx Telecom plc (LON:MANX) share price up 19% in a single quarter. But that doesn’t help the fact that the three year return is less impressive. In fact, the share price is down 15% in the last three years, falling well short of the market return.
See our latest analysis for Manx Telecom
To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it’s a weighing machine. 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 three years that the share price fell, Manx Telecom’s earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 14% each year. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 5.1% compound annual share price fall. So the market may not be too worried about the EPS figure, at the moment — or it may have previously priced some of the drop in.
You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).
We know that Manx Telecom has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? You could check out this free report showing analyst revenue forecasts.
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 discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for Manx Telecom the TSR over the last 3 years was 1.1%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. And there’s no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!
A Different Perspective
We’re pleased to report that Manx Telecom shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 4.2% over one year. And that does include the dividend. However, that falls short of the 7.3% TSR per annum it has made for shareholders, each year, over five years. The pessimistic view would be that be that the stock has its best days behind it, but on the other hand the price might simply be moderating while the business itself continues to execute. If you would like to research Manx Telecom in more detail then you might want to take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in the company.
But note: Manx Telecom may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on GB 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.
