If You Had Bought Hansen Technologies (ASX:HSN) Shares A Year Ago You'd Have Earned 12% Returns

These days it's easy to simply buy an index fund, and your returns should (roughly) match the market. But you can significantly boost your returns by picking above-average stocks. For example, the Hansen Technologies Limited (ASX:HSN) share price is up 12% in the last year, clearly besting the market decline of around 0.6% (not including dividends). That's a solid performance by our standards! The longer term returns have not been as good, with the stock price only 9.1% higher than it was three years ago.

View our latest analysis for Hansen Technologies

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. 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 the last year Hansen Technologies grew its earnings per share (EPS) by 20%. This EPS growth is significantly higher than the 12% increase in the share price. Therefore, it seems the market isn't as excited about Hansen Technologies as it was before. This could be an opportunity.

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

We know that Hansen Technologies has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? You could check out this free report showing analyst revenue forecasts.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Hansen Technologies, it has a TSR of 15% for the last year. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Hansen Technologies shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 15% over the last year. And that does include the dividend. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 4%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. 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 instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for Hansen Technologies that you should be aware of.

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 AU exchanges.

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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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