SolarEdge Technologies' (NASDAQ:SEDG) Wonderful 951% Share Price Increase Shows How Capitalism Can Build Wealth

Simply Wall St
·3 min read

SolarEdge Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:SEDG) shareholders might understandably be very concerned that the share price has dropped 37% in the last quarter. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last half decade have been spectacular. In that time, the share price has soared some 951% higher! Arguably, the recent fall is to be expected after such a strong rise. The most important thing for savvy investors to consider is whether the underlying business can justify the share price gain.

It really delights us to see such great share price performance for investors.

See our latest analysis for SolarEdge Technologies

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).

Over half a decade, SolarEdge Technologies managed to grow its earnings per share at 9.7% a year. This EPS growth is slower than the share price growth of 60% per year, over the same period. So it's fair to assume the market has a higher opinion of the business than it did five years ago. And that's hardly shocking given the track record of growth. This optimism is visible in its fairly high P/E ratio of 82.63.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

earnings-per-share-growth
earnings-per-share-growth

It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. It's always worth keeping an eye on CEO pay, but a more important question is whether the company will grow earnings throughout the years. This free interactive report on SolarEdge Technologies' earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that SolarEdge Technologies has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 77% in the last twelve months. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 60% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. 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 example, we've discovered 4 warning signs for SolarEdge Technologies that you should be aware of before investing here.

But note: SolarEdge Technologies may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

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

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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