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For us, stock picking is in large part the hunt for the truly magnificent stocks. Mistakes are inevitable, but a single top stock pick can cover any losses, and so much more. One bright shining star stock has been Sunac China Holdings Limited (HKG:1918), which is 556% higher than three years ago. Also pleasing for shareholders was the 25% gain in the last three months.
We love happy stories like this one. The company should be really proud of that performance!
Check out our latest analysis for Sunac China Holdings
To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. 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.
During three years of share price growth, Sunac China Holdings achieved compound earnings per share growth of 88% per year. Notably, the 87% average annual share price gain matches up nicely with the EPS growth rate. That suggests that the market sentiment around the company hasn't changed much over that time. Rather, the share price has approximately tracked EPS growth.
The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).
We know that Sunac China Holdings has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.
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, Sunac China Holdings's TSR for the last 3 years was 605%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!
A Different Perspective
It's good to see that Sunac China Holdings has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 71% in the last twelve months. Of course, that includes the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 48% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for Sunac China Holdings you should be aware of, and 1 of them is a bit concerning.