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Some Emperor Watch & Jewellery (HKG:887) Shareholders Have Taken A Painful 70% Share Price Drop

We think intelligent long term investing is the way to go. But that doesn't mean long term investors can avoid big losses. Zooming in on an example, the Emperor Watch & Jewellery Limited (HKG:887) share price dropped 70% in the last half decade. That's an unpleasant experience for long term holders. And we doubt long term believers are the only worried holders, since the stock price has declined 44% over the last twelve months. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 18% in the last three months. Of course, this share price action may well have been influenced by the 8.0% decline in the broader market, throughout the period.

Check out our latest analysis for Emperor Watch & Jewellery

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. 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).

Emperor Watch & Jewellery became profitable within the last five years. That would generally be considered a positive, so we are surprised to see the share price is down. Other metrics might give us a better handle on how its value is changing over time.

The revenue decline of 2.7% isn't too bad. But it's quite possible the market had expected better; a closer look at the revenue trends might explain the pessimism.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

SEHK:887 Income Statement May 26th 2020
SEHK:887 Income Statement May 26th 2020

Balance sheet strength is crucial. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.

What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between Emperor Watch & Jewellery's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price return. 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. Dividends have been really beneficial for Emperor Watch & Jewellery shareholders, and that cash payout explains why its total shareholder loss of 68%, over the last 5 years, isn't as bad as the share price return.

A Different Perspective

We regret to report that Emperor Watch & Jewellery shareholders are down 41% for the year. Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 6.9%. Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 20% over the last half decade. 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. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Emperor Watch & Jewellery that you should be aware of.

If you like to buy stocks alongside management, then you might just love this free list of companies. (Hint: insiders have been buying them).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK exchanges.

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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. 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. Thank you for reading.