Yahoo Finance Investors in White Mountains Insurance Group (NYSE:WTM) have made a respectable return of 52% over the past five years
Stock pickers are generally looking for stocks that will outperform the broader market. And while active stock picking involves risks (and requires diversification) it can also provide excess returns. To wit, the White Mountains Insurance Group share price has climbed 52% in five years, easily topping the market return of 35% (ignoring dividends). However, more recent returns haven't been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 22% in the last year , including dividends .
So let's assess the underlying fundamentals over the last 5 years and see if they've moved in lock-step with shareholder returns.
View our latest analysis for White Mountains Insurance Group
White Mountains Insurance Group 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. Generally speaking, companies without profits are expected to grow revenue every year, and at a good clip. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth.
In the last 5 years White Mountains Insurance Group saw its revenue grow at 26% per year. Even measured against other revenue-focussed companies, that's a good result. It's good to see that the stock has 9%, but not entirely surprising given revenue shows strong growth. If you think there could be more growth to come, now might be the time to take a close look at White Mountains Insurance Group. Of course, you'll have to research the business more fully to figure out if this is an attractive opportunity.
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 White Mountains Insurance Group stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet.
A Different Perspective
It's nice to see that White Mountains Insurance Group shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 22% over the last year. And that does include the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 9% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand White Mountains Insurance Group better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for White Mountains Insurance Group you should know about.
If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.
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. 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.
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