In order to justify the effort of selecting individual stocks, it's worth striving to beat the returns from a market index fund. But even the best stock picker will only win with some selections. So we wouldn't blame long term Mexan Limited (HKG:22) shareholders for doubting their decision to hold, with the stock down 45% over a half decade. And some of the more recent buyers are probably worried, too, with the stock falling 30% in the last year. The falls have accelerated recently, with the share price down 15% in the last three months.

View our latest analysis for Mexan

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

Over five years Mexan's earnings per share dropped significantly, falling to a loss, with the share price also lower. Since the company has fallen to a loss making position, it's hard to compare the change in EPS with the share price change. But we would generally expect a lower price, given the situation.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Mexan's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

Investors in Mexan had a tough year, with a total loss of 30%, against a market gain of about 0.01%. Even the share prices of good stocks drop sometimes, but we want to see improvements in the fundamental metrics of a business, before getting too interested. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 11% per year over five years. Generally speaking long term share price weakness can be a bad sign, though contrarian investors might want to research the stock in hope of a turnaround. 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. Be aware that Mexan is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , and 1 of those is a bit unpleasant...

But note: Mexan may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).