The Danaher (NYSE:DHR) Share Price Has Gained 149%, So Why Not Pay It Some Attention?

NYSE:DHR) share price has flown 149% in the last three years. That sort of return is as solid as granite. It’s also good to see the share price up 29% over the last quarter. But this move may well have been assisted by the reasonably buoyant market (up 17% in 90 days).” data-reactid=”28″>The most you can lose on any stock (assuming you don’t use leverage) is 100% of your money. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. To wit, the Danaher Corporation (NYSE:DHR) share price has flown 149% in the last three years. That sort of return is as solid as granite. It’s also good to see the share price up 29% over the last quarter. But this move may well have been assisted by the reasonably buoyant market (up 17% in 90 days).

Check out our latest analysis for Danaher ” data-reactid=”29″> Check out our latest analysis for Danaher

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. 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 three years of share price growth, Danaher achieved compound earnings per share growth of 8.4% per year. This EPS growth is lower than the 36% average annual increase in the share price. This indicates that the market is feeling more optimistic on the stock, after the last few years of progress. It’s not unusual to see the market ‘re-rate’ a stock, after a few years of growth. This optimism is also reflected in the fairly generous P/E ratio of 51.11.

The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

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report on Danaher’s earnings, revenue and cash flow.” data-reactid=”49″>It’s good to see that there was some significant insider buying in the last three months. That’s a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Danaher’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. In the case of Danaher, it has a TSR of 153% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there’s no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

We’ve identified 1 warning sign with Danaher , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.” data-reactid=”53″>It’s nice to see that Danaher shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 47% over the last year. And that does include the dividend. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 27%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. 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 1 warning sign with Danaher , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

list of growing companies that insiders are buying.” data-reactid=”54″>There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. You probably do not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.