Those Who Purchased Pulse Seismic (TSE:PSD) Shares Five Years Ago Have A 31% Loss To Show For It
Want to participate in a short research study? Help shape the future of investing tools and you could win a $250 gift card!
For many, the main point of investing is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But every investor is virtually certain to have both over-performing and under-performing stocks. So we wouldn't blame long term Pulse Seismic Inc. (TSE:PSD) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 31% over a half decade. And it's not just long term holders hurting, because the stock is down 20% in the last year. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 14% in the last 90 days.
Check out our latest analysis for Pulse Seismic
Because Pulse Seismic is loss-making, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. That's because fast revenue growth can be easily extrapolated to forecast profits, often of considerable size.
In the last five years Pulse Seismic saw its revenue shrink by 3.1% per year. That's not what investors generally want to see. The share price decline at a rate of 7.1% per year is disappointing. But it doesn't surprise given the falling revenue. Without profits, its hard to see how shareholders win if the revenue keeps falling.
You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).
This free interactive report on Pulse Seismic's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.
What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?
We've already covered Pulse Seismic's share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Pulse Seismic's TSR of was a loss of 24% for the 5 years. That wasn't as bad as its share price return, because it has paid dividends.
A Different Perspective
Pulse Seismic shareholders are down 20% for the year, but the market itself is up 0.7%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 5.3% per year over five years. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. Shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of past earnings, revenue and cash flow.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on CA exchanges.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.