KSS Line (KRX:044450) Shareholders Booked A 83% Gain In The Last Year

We believe investing is smart because history shows that stock markets go higher in the long term. But if you choose that path, you're going to buy some stocks that fall short of the market. For example, the KSS Line Ltd. (KRX:044450), share price is up over the last year, but its gain of 83% trails the market return. However, the stock hasn't done so well in the longer term, with the stock only up 25% in three years.

See our latest analysis for KSS Line

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. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

During the last year, KSS Line actually saw its earnings per share drop 44%.

Given the share price gain, we doubt the market is measuring progress with EPS. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics.

Revenue was pretty flat year on year, but maybe a closer look at the data can explain the market optimism.

The company's revenue and earnings (over time) are depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

Take a more thorough look at KSS Line's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet.

What About Dividends?

When looking at investment returns, it is important to consider the difference between total shareholder return (TSR) and share price return. 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. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, KSS Line's TSR for the last year was 88%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

A Different Perspective

KSS Line shareholders gained a total return of 88% during the year. But that was short of the market average. The silver lining is that the gain was actually better than the average annual return of 9% per year over five year. This suggests the company might be improving over time. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand KSS Line better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 2 warning signs for KSS Line you should be aware of, and 1 of them makes us a bit uncomfortable.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.

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