If you are building a properly diversified stock portfolio, the chances are some of your picks will perform badly. But long term Photo-Me International plc (LON:PHTM) shareholders have had a particularly rough ride in the last three year. Sadly for them, the share price is down 74% in that time. And more recent buyers are having a tough time too, with a drop of 48% in the last year. It's down 3.8% in the last seven days.
View our latest analysis for Photo-Me International
In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.
Photo-Me International saw its EPS decline at a compound rate of 68% per year, over the last three years. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 36% compound annual share price fall. This suggests that the market retains some optimism around long term earnings stability, despite past EPS declines. With a P/E ratio of 162.60, it's fair to say the market sees a brighter future for the business.
You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).
It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Photo-Me International's earnings, revenue and cash flow.
What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?
Investors should note that there's a difference between Photo-Me International's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. Arguably the TSR is a more complete return calculation because it accounts for the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested), along with the hypothetical value of any discounted capital that have been offered to shareholders. Photo-Me International's TSR of was a loss of 70% for the 3 years. That wasn't as bad as its share price return, because it has paid dividends.
A Different Perspective
While the broader market lost about 3.7% in the twelve months, Photo-Me International shareholders did even worse, losing 48%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 10% over the last half decade. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. 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. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 4 warning signs with Photo-Me International (at least 1 which is concerning) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.