Investing in stocks inevitably means buying into some companies that perform poorly. But the long term shareholders of 361 Degrees International Limited (HKG:1361) have had an unfortunate run in the last three years. So they might be feeling emotional about the 67% share price collapse, in that time. And over the last year the share price fell 41%, so we doubt many shareholders are delighted. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 11% in the last three months.
See our latest analysis for 361 Degrees International
While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. 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 three years that the share price fell, 361 Degrees International's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 6.4% each year. The share price decline of 31% is actually steeper than the EPS slippage. So it seems the market was too confident about the business, in the past. The less favorable sentiment is reflected in its current P/E ratio of 4.76.
You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).
We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on 361 Degrees International's earnings, revenue and cash flow.
What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?
Investors should note that there's a difference between 361 Degrees International's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price change, which we've covered above. The TSR attempts to capture the value of dividends (as if they were reinvested) as well as any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings offered to shareholders. Dividends have been really beneficial for 361 Degrees International shareholders, and that cash payout explains why its total shareholder loss of 63%, over the last 3 years, isn't as bad as the share price return.
A Different Perspective
361 Degrees International shareholders are down 40% for the year, but the market itself is up 6.6%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 9% per year over five years. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. Investors who like to make money usually check up on insider purchases, such as the price paid, and total amount bought. You can find out about the insider purchases of 361 Degrees International by clicking this link.
361 Degrees International is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on HK exchanges.
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