The one-year shareholder returns and company earnings persist lower as Middlesex Water (NASDAQ:MSEX) stock falls a further 9.1% in past week

Simply Wall St · 11/13/2023 10:37

Passive investing in an index fund is a good way to ensure your own returns roughly match the overall market. But if you buy individual stocks, you can do both better or worse than that. Investors in Middlesex Water Company (NASDAQ:MSEX) have tasted that bitter downside in the last year, as the share price dropped 31%. That's disappointing when you consider the market returned 10%. However, the longer term returns haven't been so bad, with the stock down 15% in the last three years. Furthermore, it's down 23% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. This could be related to the recent financial results - you can catch up on the most recent data by reading our company report.

With the stock having lost 9.1% in the past week, it's worth taking a look at business performance and seeing if there's any red flags.

Check out our latest analysis for Middlesex Water

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just 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).

Unfortunately Middlesex Water reported an EPS drop of 23% for the last year. The share price decline of 31% is actually more than the EPS drop. So it seems the market was too confident about the business, a year ago.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

earnings-per-share-growth
NasdaqGS:MSEX Earnings Per Share Growth November 13th 2023

It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Middlesex Water's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 10% in the last year, Middlesex Water shareholders lost 30% (even including dividends). Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 6% 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. 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. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Middlesex Water (at least 1 which shouldn't be ignored) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

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.