Reflecting on International Business Machines' (NYSE:IBM) Share Price Returns Over The Last Three Years
NYSE:IBM) shareholders have had that experience, with the share price dropping 12% in three years, versus a market return of about 47%.” data-reactid=”28″>As an investor its worth striving to ensure your overall portfolio beats the market average. But its virtually certain that sometimes you will buy stocks that fall short of the market average returns. We regret to report that long term International Business Machines Corporation (NYSE:IBM) shareholders have had that experience, with the share price dropping 12% in three years, versus a market return of about 47%.
Check out our latest analysis for International Business Machines ” data-reactid=”29″> Check out our latest analysis for International Business Machines
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 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.
During the three years that the share price fell, International Business Machines’ earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 9.8% each year. In comparison the 4.2% compound annual share price decline isn’t as bad as the EPS drop-off. 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 below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).
historic growth trends, available here.” data-reactid=”49″>Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.
What About Dividends?
As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, International Business Machines’ TSR for the last 3 years was 0.8%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!
A Different Perspective
2 warning signs we’ve spotted with International Business Machines .” data-reactid=”53″>International Business Machines shareholders are up 0.6% for the year (even including dividends). But that return falls short of the market. On the bright side, the longer term returns (running at about 1.7% a year, over half a decade) look better. Maybe the share price is just taking a breather while the business executes on its growth strategy. It’s always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand International Business Machines better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 2 warning signs we’ve spotted with International Business Machines .
list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.” data-reactid=”54″>If you would prefer to check out another company — one with potentially superior financials — then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.
Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email [email protected].” data-reactid=”56″>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. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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