When you buy a stock there is always a possibility that it could drop 100%. But when you pick a company that is really flourishing, you can make more than 100%. One great example is Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ:WLFC) which saw its share price drive 139% higher over five years. It’s also good to see the share price up 31% over the last quarter.
See our latest analysis for Willis Lease Finance
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. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.
During five years of share price growth, Willis Lease Finance achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 28% per year. This EPS growth is higher than the 19% average annual increase in the share price. So it seems the market isn’t so enthusiastic about the stock these days. This cautious sentiment is reflected in its (fairly low) P/E ratio of 7.16.
The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).
This free interactive report on Willis Lease Finance’s 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 Willis Lease Finance has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 39% in the last twelve months. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 19%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. If you would like to research Willis Lease Finance in more detail then you might want to take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in the company.
If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.
If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.