Knorr-Bremse AG (ETR:KBX) shareholders might be concerned after seeing the share price drop 10% in the last month. While that might be a setback, it doesn’t negate the nice returns received over the last twelve months. To wit, it had solidly beat the market, up 31%.
With that in mind, it’s worth seeing if the company’s underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.
View our latest analysis for Knorr-Bremse
There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.
During the last year Knorr-Bremse grew its earnings per share (EPS) by 21%. This EPS growth is significantly lower than the 31% increase in the share price. This indicates that the market is now more optimistic about the stock.
You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).
We know that Knorr-Bremse has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? This free report showing analyst revenue forecasts should help you figure out if the EPS growth can be sustained.
When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. 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. It’s fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Knorr-Bremse, it has a TSR of 35% for the last 1 year. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!
It’s nice to see that Knorr-Bremse shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 35% over the last year. Of course, that includes the dividend. Notably the five-year annualised TSR loss of 1.0% per year compares very unfavourably with the recent share price performance. The long term loss makes us cautious, but the short term TSR gain certainly hints at a brighter future. It’s always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Knorr-Bremse better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we’ve discovered 1 warning sign for Knorr-Bremse that you should be aware of before investing here.
Of course Knorr-Bremse may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on German exchanges.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.