These days it's easy to simply buy an index fund, and your returns should (roughly) match the market. But investors can boost returns by picking market-beating companies to own shares in. To wit, the YIT Oyj (HEL:YIT) share price is 31% higher than it was a year ago, much better than the market return of around 9.8% (not including dividends) in the same period. So that should have shareholders smiling. The longer term returns have not been as good, with the stock price only 5.2% higher than it was three years ago.

View our latest analysis for YIT Oyj

While YIT Oyj made a small profit, in the last year, we think that the market is probably more focussed on the top line growth at the moment. Generally speaking, we'd consider a stock like this alongside loss-making companies, simply because the quantum of the profit is so low. It would be hard to believe in a more profitable future without growing revenues.

Over the last twelve months, YIT Oyj's revenue grew by 8.1%. That's not a very high growth rate considering it doesn't make profits. The modest growth is probably largely reflected in the share price, which is up 31%. While not a huge gain tht seems pretty reasonable. It could be worth keeping an eye on this one, especially if growth accelerates.

The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

If you are thinking of buying or selling YIT Oyj stock, you should check out this FREE detailed 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. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. As it happens, YIT Oyj's TSR for the last year was 38%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that YIT Oyj shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 38% over one year. Of course, that includes the dividend. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 8.4% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand YIT Oyj better, we need to consider many other factors. Take risks, for example - YIT Oyj has 5 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.