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Investors can approximate the average market return by buying an index fund. Active investors aim to buy stocks that vastly outperform the market - but in the process, they risk under-performance. Unfortunately the Hill & Smith Holdings PLC (LON:HILS) share price slid 17% over twelve months. That's disappointing when you consider the market declined 1.5%. Longer term investors have fared much better, since the share price is up 4.5% in three years. Even worse, it's down 12% in about a month, which isn't fun at all. This could be related to the recent financial results - you can catch up on the most recent data by reading our company report.
With the stock having lost 5.2% in the past week, it's worth taking a look at business performance and seeing if there's any red flags.
Check out our latest analysis for Hill & Smith Holdings
While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. 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 unfortunate twelve months during which the Hill & Smith Holdings share price fell, it actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 42%. It could be that the share price was previously over-hyped.
It's surprising to see the share price fall so much, despite the improved EPS. So it's well worth checking out some other metrics, too.
Hill & Smith Holdings' revenue is actually up 6.7% over the last year. Since we can't easily explain the share price movement based on these metrics, it might be worth considering how market sentiment has changed towards the stock.
You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).
It's probably worth noting we've seen significant insider buying in the last quarter, which we consider a positive. That said, we think earnings and revenue growth trends are even more important factors to consider. This free report showing analyst forecasts should help you form a view on Hill & Smith Holdings
A Different Perspective
We regret to report that Hill & Smith Holdings shareholders are down 15% for the year (even including dividends). Unfortunately, that's worse than the broader market decline of 1.5%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 2%, each year, over five years. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Hill & Smith Holdings , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.