Yahoo Finance The 41% return this week takes Marvell Technology's (NASDAQ:MRVL) shareholders five-year gains to 208%
When you buy a stock there is always a possibility that it could drop 100%. But on the bright side, you can make far more than 100% on a really good stock. One great example is Marvell Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ:MRVL) which saw its share price drive 197% higher over five years. And in the last month, the share price has gained 66%. We note that Marvell Technology reported its financial results recently; luckily, you can catch up on the latest revenue and profit numbers in our company report.
The past week has proven to be lucrative for Marvell Technology investors, so let's see if fundamentals drove the company's five-year performance.
View our latest analysis for Marvell Technology
Given that Marvell Technology didn't make a profit in the last twelve months, we'll focus on revenue growth to form a quick view of its business development. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.
In the last 5 years Marvell Technology saw its revenue grow at 20% per year. Even measured against other revenue-focussed companies, that's a good result. So it's not entirely surprising that the share price reflected this performance by increasing at a rate of 24% per year, in that time. This suggests the market has well and truly recognized the progress the business has made. To our minds that makes Marvell Technology worth investigating - it may have its best days ahead.
The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think Marvell Technology will earn in the future (free profit forecasts).
What About Dividends?
It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. 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, Marvell Technology's TSR for the last 5 years was 208%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!
A Different Perspective
It's good to see that Marvell Technology has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 8.3% in the last twelve months. That's including the dividend. However, the TSR over five years, coming in at 25% per year, is even more impressive. Potential buyers might understandably feel they've missed the opportunity, but it's always possible business is still firing on all cylinders. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Marvell Technology you should be aware of.
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.
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.
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