Chefs' Warehouse's (NASDAQ:CHEF) investors will be pleased with their decent 87% return over the last five years
If you want to compound wealth in the stock market, you can do so by buying an index fund. But in our experience, buying the right stocks can give your wealth a significant boost. For example, the The Chefs' Warehouse, Inc. (NASDAQ:CHEF) share price is 87% higher than it was five years ago, which is more than the market average. It's also good to see that the stock is up 6.7% in a year.
Now it's worth having a look at the company's fundamentals too, because that will help us determine if the long term shareholder return has matched the performance of the underlying business.
See our latest analysis for Chefs' Warehouse
Chefs' Warehouse wasn't profitable in the last twelve months, it is unlikely we'll see a strong correlation between its share price and its earnings per share (EPS). Arguably revenue is our next best option. When a company doesn't make profits, we'd generally expect to see good revenue growth. That's because it's hard to be confident a company will be sustainable if revenue growth is negligible, and it never makes a profit.
In the last 5 years Chefs' Warehouse saw its revenue grow at 1.3% per year. Put simply, that growth rate fails to impress. While it's hard to say just how much value the company added over five years, the annualised share price gain of 13% seems about right. We'd be looking for the underlying business to grow revenue a bit faster.
You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).
If you are thinking of buying or selling Chefs' Warehouse stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet.
A Different Perspective
It's nice to see that Chefs' Warehouse shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 6.7% over the last year. Having said that, the five-year TSR of 13% a year, is even better. Potential buyers might understandably feel they've missed the opportunity, but it's always possible business is still firing on all cylinders. 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 risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Chefs' Warehouse you should know about.
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 US exchanges.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. 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.
