The worst result, after buying shares in a company (assuming no leverage), would be if you lose all the money you put in. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. Long term Acushnet Holdings Corp. (NYSE:GOLF) shareholders would be well aware of this, since the stock is up 168% in five years. On the other hand, we note it’s down 8.3% in about a month. This could be related to the recent financial results, released recently – you can catch up on the most recent data by reading our company report.
So let’s investigate and see if the longer term performance of the company has been in line with the underlying business’ progress.
Check out our latest analysis for Acushnet Holdings
To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it’s a weighing machine. 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).
Over half a decade, Acushnet Holdings managed to grow its earnings per share at 19% a year. This EPS growth is reasonably close to the 22% average annual increase in the share price. Therefore one could conclude that sentiment towards the shares hasn’t morphed very much. In fact, the share price seems to largely reflect the EPS growth.
You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).
We know that Acushnet Holdings has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.
What About Dividends?
As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, Acushnet Holdings’ TSR for the last 5 years was 192%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!
A Different Perspective
Acushnet Holdings shareholders are up 25% for the year (even including dividends). But that was short of the market average. On the bright side, that’s still a gain, and it’s actually better than the average return of 24% over half a decade This could indicate that the company is winning over new investors, as it pursues its strategy. It’s always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Acushnet Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We’ve spotted 2 warning signs for Acushnet Holdings you should be aware of.
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.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.
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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.