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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 Arcosa, Inc. (NYSE:ACA) share price is 44% higher than it was a year ago, much better than the market return of around 8.6% (not including dividends) in the same period. So that should have shareholders smiling. Note that businesses generally develop over the long term, so the returns over the last year might not reflect a long term trend.
Check out our latest analysis for Arcosa
While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.
Arcosa was able to grow EPS by 68% in the last twelve months. It's fair to say that the share price gain of 44% did not keep pace with the EPS growth. Therefore, it seems the market isn't as excited about Arcosa as it was before. This could be an opportunity.
The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
We know that Arcosa 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.
A Different Perspective
Arcosa boasts a total shareholder return of 45% for the last year (that includes the dividends) . A substantial portion of that gain has come in the last three months, with the stock up 21% in that time. Demand for the stock from multiple parties is pushing the price higher; it could be that word is getting out about its virtues as a business. Before forming an opinion on Arcosa you might want to consider these 3 valuation metrics.
For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.
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.
We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Thank you for reading.