Yahoo Finance Investors in Environmental Group (ASX:EGL) have seen enviable returns of 745% over the past three years
Investing can be hard but the potential fo an individual stock to pay off big time inspires us. You won't get it right every time, but when you do, the returns can be truly splendid. Take, for example, the The Environmental Group Limited (ASX:EGL) share price, which skyrocketed 745% over three years. It's even up 8.9% in the last week. Anyone who held for that rewarding ride would probably be keen to talk about it.
So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 3 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns.
Check out our latest analysis for Environmental Group
To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.
During three years of share price growth, Environmental Group moved from a loss to profitability. Given the importance of this milestone, it's not overly surprising that the share price has increased strongly.
You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).
It is of course excellent to see how Environmental Group has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. This free interactive report on Environmental Group's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.
A Different Perspective
It's good to see that Environmental Group has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 29% in the last twelve months. Having said that, the five-year TSR of 46% a year, is even better. The pessimistic view would be that be that the stock has its best days behind it, but on the other hand the price might simply be moderating while the business itself continues to execute. 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. Take risks, for example - Environmental Group has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.
Of course Environmental Group 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 Australian exchanges.
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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.
