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Stock pickers are generally looking for stocks that will outperform the broader market. And while active stock picking involves risks (and requires diversification) it can also provide excess returns. For example, long term Central Asia Metals plc (LON:CAML) shareholders have enjoyed a 68% share price rise over the last half decade, well in excess of the market return of around 21% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the more recent gains haven't been so impressive, with shareholders gaining just 8.0% , including dividends .
Check out our latest analysis for Central Asia Metals
To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. 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 five years of share price growth, Central Asia Metals achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 9.4% per year. So the EPS growth rate is rather close to the annualized share price gain of 11% per year. Therefore one could conclude that sentiment towards the shares hasn't morphed very much. Rather, the share price has approximately tracked EPS growth.
You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).
This free interactive report on Central Asia Metals' earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.
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 is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Central Asia Metals the TSR over the last 5 years was 129%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!
A Different Perspective
We're pleased to report that Central Asia Metals shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 8.0% over one year. That's including the dividend. However, the TSR over five years, coming in at 18% per year, is even more impressive. Potential buyers might understandably feel they've missed the opportunity, but it's always possible business is still firing on all cylinders. 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. Even so, be aware that Central Asia Metals is showing 3 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about...