Yahoo Finance Such Is Life: How 1st Group (ASX:1ST) Shareholders Saw Their Shares Drop 57%
The truth is that if you invest for long enough, you’re going to end up with some losing stocks. But long term 1st Group Limited (ASX:1ST) shareholders have had a particularly rough ride in the last three year. Regrettably, they have had to cope with a 57% drop in the share price over that period. And more recent buyers are having a tough time too, with a drop of 30% in the last year.
Check out our latest analysis for 1st Group
Because 1st Group is loss-making, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.
In the last three years, 1st Group saw its revenue grow by 31% per year, compound. That is faster than most pre-profit companies. In contrast, the share price is down 24% compound, over three years – disappointing by most standards. This could mean hype has come out of the stock because the losses are concerning investors. When we see revenue growth, paired with a falling share price, we can’t help wonder if there is an opportunity for those who are willing to dig deeper.
Depicted in the graphic below, you’ll see revenue and earnings over time. If you want more detail, you can click on the chart itself.
It’s probably worth noting we’ve seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. On the other hand, we think the revenue and earnings trends are much more meaningful measures of the business. Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here..
What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?
We’d be remiss not to mention the difference between 1st Group’s total shareholder return (TSR) and its 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. We note that 1st Group’s TSR, at -52% is higher than its share price rise of -57%. When you consider it hasn’t been paying a dividend, this data suggests shareholders may have had the opportunity to acquire attractively priced shares in a discounted capital raising.
A Different Perspective
Over the last year, 1st Group shareholders took a loss of 30%. In contrast the market gained about 9.6%. Of course the long term matters more than the short term, and even great stocks will sometimes have a poor year. The three-year loss of 21% per year isn’t as bad as the last twelve months, suggesting that the company has not been able to convince the market it has solved its problems. Although Warren Buffett famously said he likes to ‘buy when there is blood on the streets’, he also focusses on high quality stocks with solid prospects. If you want to research this stock further, the data on insider buying is an obvious place to start. You can click here to see who has been buying shares – and the price they paid.
1st Group is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on AU 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.
