Earnings growth outpaced the 27% return delivered to Chin Teck Plantations Berhad (KLSE:CHINTEK) shareholders over the last year

The simplest way to invest in stocks is to buy exchange traded funds. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. For example, the Chin Teck Plantations Berhad (KLSE:CHINTEK) share price is up 22% in the last 1 year, clearly besting the market decline of around 1.0% (not including dividends). That's a solid performance by our standards! However, the longer term returns haven't been so impressive, with the stock up just 16% in the last three years.

Since the stock has added RM69m to its market cap in the past week alone, let's see if underlying performance has been driving long-term returns.

See our latest analysis for Chin Teck Plantations Berhad

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).

Chin Teck Plantations Berhad was able to grow EPS by 82% in the last twelve months. This EPS growth is significantly higher than the 22% increase in the share price. Therefore, it seems the market isn't as excited about Chin Teck Plantations Berhad as it was before. This could be an opportunity. This cautious sentiment is reflected in its (fairly low) P/E ratio of 9.20.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. 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. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for Chin Teck Plantations Berhad the TSR over the last 1 year was 27%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Chin Teck Plantations Berhad shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 27% 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. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Even so, be aware that Chin Teck Plantations Berhad is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.

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