Buying a low-cost index fund will get you the average market return. But if you invest in individual stocks, some are likely to underperform. Unfortunately for shareholders, while the Physicians Realty Trust (NYSE:DOC) share price is up 23% in the last three years, that falls short of the market return. At least the stock price is up over the last year, albeit only by 0.4%.
View our latest analysis for Physicians Realty Trust
There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.
During three years of share price growth, Physicians Realty Trust achieved compound earnings per share growth of 11% per year. The average annual share price increase of 7% is actually lower than the EPS growth. Therefore, it seems the market has moderated its expectations for growth, somewhat. Having said that, the market is still optimistic, given the P/E ratio of 55.72.
The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).
NYSE:DOC Earnings Per Share Growth June 4th 2021
Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.
What About Dividends?
It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. As it happens, Physicians Realty Trust’s TSR for the last 3 years was 44%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!
A Different Perspective
Physicians Realty Trust shareholders gained a total return of 5.7% during the year. Unfortunately this falls short of the market return. On the bright side, that’s still a gain, and it’s actually better than the average return of 4% over half a decade This could indicate that the company is winning over new investors, as it pursues its strategy. 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. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We’ve identified 3 warning signs with Physicians Realty Trust (at least 1 which doesn’t sit too well with us) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
Of course Physicians Realty Trust may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US 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.
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