While Sioen Industries NV (EBR:SIOE) shareholders are probably generally happy, the stock hasn't had particularly good run recently, with the share price falling 13% in the last quarter. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last five years have been pleasing. Its return of 87% has certainly bested the market return!

See our latest analysis for Sioen Industries

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. 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.

Over half a decade, Sioen Industries managed to grow its earnings per share at 11% a year. This EPS growth is reasonably close to the 13% average annual increase in the share price. This indicates that investor sentiment towards the company has not changed a great deal. In fact, the share price seems to largely reflect the EPS growth.

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

We know that Sioen Industries has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? If you're interested, you could check this free report showing consensus revenue forecasts.

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, Sioen Industries's TSR for the last 5 years was 103%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. This is largely a result of its dividend payments!

A Different Perspective

Sioen Industries shareholders are down 2.7% for the year (even including dividends) , but the market itself is up 16%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 15%, each year, over five years. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. Before deciding if you like the current share price, check how Sioen Industries scores on these 3 valuation metrics.

Of course Sioen Industries may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.