Earnings are growing at Piaggio & C (BIT:PIA) but shareholders still don't like its prospects

The simplest way to benefit from a rising market is to buy an index fund. While individual stocks can be big winners, plenty more fail to generate satisfactory returns. Investors in Piaggio & C. SpA (BIT:PIA) have tasted that bitter downside in the last year, as the share price dropped 32%. That falls noticeably short of the market decline of around 2.2%. At least the damage isn't so bad if you look at the last three years, since the stock is down 6.4% in that time. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 17% in the last 90 days. However, one could argue that the price has been influenced by the general market, which is down 8.6% in the same timeframe.

After losing 7.0% this past week, it's worth investigating the company's fundamentals to see what we can infer from past performance.

Check out our latest analysis for Piaggio & C

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.

During the unfortunate twelve months during which the Piaggio & C share price fell, it actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 92%. Of course, the situation might betray previous over-optimism about growth.

It's fair to say that the share price does not seem to be reflecting the EPS growth. So it's easy to justify a look at some other metrics.

We don't see any weakness in the Piaggio & C's dividend so the steady payout can't really explain the share price drop. The revenue trend doesn't seem to explain why the share price is down. Unless, of course, the market was expecting a revenue uptick.

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

We know that Piaggio & C has improved its bottom line lately, but what does the future have in store? If you are thinking of buying or selling Piaggio & C stock, you should check out this free report showing analyst profit forecasts.

What About Dividends?

As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. We note that for Piaggio & C the TSR over the last 1 year was -28%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

Piaggio & C shareholders are down 28% for the year (even including dividends), but the market itself is up 2.2%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 8% per year over half a decade. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Piaggio & C better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 3 warning signs for Piaggio & C you should be aware of.

But note: Piaggio & C may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on IT exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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.