Investors Who Bought Tradelink Electronic Commerce (HKG:536) Shares Five Years Ago Are Now Down 31%
While it may not be enough for some shareholders, we think it is good to see the Tradelink Electronic Commerce Limited (HKG:536) share price up 23% in a single quarter. But if you look at the last five years the returns have not been good. You would have done a lot better buying an index fund, since the stock has dropped 31% in that half decade.
Check out our latest analysis for Tradelink Electronic Commerce
There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect 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).
During the unfortunate half decade during which the share price slipped, Tradelink Electronic Commerce actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 1.5% per year. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Alternatively, growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past. Based on these numbers, we'd venture that the market may have been over-optimistic about forecast growth, half a decade ago. Having said that, we might get a better idea of what's going on with the stock by looking at other metrics.
We note that the dividend has fallen in the last five years, so that may have contributed to the share price decline.
The chart below shows how revenue and earnings have changed with time, (if you click on the chart you can see the actual values).
This free interactive report on Tradelink Electronic Commerce's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.
What About Dividends?
When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. 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. In the case of Tradelink Electronic Commerce, it has a TSR of -4.3% for the last 5 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!
A Different Perspective
We're pleased to report that Tradelink Electronic Commerce shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 17% over one year. And that does include the dividend. Notably the five-year annualised TSR loss of 0.9% per year compares very unfavourably with the recent share price performance. This makes us a little wary, but the business might have turned around its fortunes. Keeping this in mind, a solid next step might be to take a look at Tradelink Electronic Commerce's dividend track record. This free interactive graph is a great place to start.
But note: Tradelink Electronic Commerce 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 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.
