International Game Technology's (NYSE:IGT) investors will be pleased with their decent 70% return over the last five years

Simply Wall St · 05/13 10:40

It hasn't been the best quarter for International Game Technology PLC (NYSE:IGT) shareholders, since the share price has fallen 23% in that time. But at least the stock is up over the last five years. Unfortunately its return of 45% is below the market return of 96%.

Let's take a look at the underlying fundamentals over the longer term, and see if they've been consistent with shareholders returns.

Check out our latest analysis for International Game Technology

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. 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).

During the last half decade, International Game Technology became profitable. That's generally thought to be a genuine positive, so investors may expect to see an increasing share price.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

earnings-per-share-growth
NYSE:IGT Earnings Per Share Growth May 13th 2024

It is of course excellent to see how International Game Technology has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). 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. We note that for International Game Technology the TSR over the last 5 years was 70%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

A Different Perspective

Investors in International Game Technology had a tough year, with a total loss of 21% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 28%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 11% per year over half a decade. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand International Game Technology better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should learn about the 3 warning signs we've spotted with International Game Technology (including 1 which is potentially serious) .

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 American exchanges.