The worst result, after buying shares in a company (assuming no leverage), would be if you lose all the money you put in. But in contrast you can make much more than 100% if the company does well. For instance the Flexible Solutions International Inc. (NYSEMKT:FSI) share price is 143% higher than it was three years ago. That sort of return is as solid as granite. Also pleasing for shareholders was the 37% gain in the last three months.
View our latest analysis for Flexible Solutions International
There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.
During three years of share price growth, Flexible Solutions International achieved compound earnings per share growth of 9.4% per year. This EPS growth is lower than the 35% average annual increase in the share price. This suggests that, as the business progressed over the last few years, it gained the confidence of market participants. It’s not unusual to see the market ‘re-rate’ a stock, after a few years of growth.
The company’s earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).
Before buying or selling a stock, we always recommend a close examination of historic growth trends, available here..
A Different Perspective
It’s good to see that Flexible Solutions International has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 19% in the last twelve months. However, that falls short of the 19% TSR per annum it has made for shareholders, each year, over five years. Before forming an opinion on Flexible Solutions International you might want to consider these 3 valuation metrics.
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 US exchanges.
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If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. 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. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.