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While not a mind-blowing move, it is good to see that the Mission Produce, Inc. (NASDAQ:AVO) share price has gained 20% in the last three months. But that is minimal compensation for the share price under-performance over the last year. In fact, the price has declined 15% in a year, falling short of the returns you could get by investing in an index fund.
It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that.
Check out our latest analysis for Mission Produce
In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.
During the last year Mission Produce saw its earnings per share drop below zero. Some investors no doubt dumped the stock as a result. We hope for shareholders' sake that the company becomes profitable again soon.
You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).
Dive deeper into Mission Produce's key metrics by checking this interactive graph of Mission Produce's earnings, revenue and cash flow.
A Different Perspective
Given that the market gained 6.9% in the last year, Mission Produce shareholders might be miffed that they lost 15%. While the aim is to do better than that, it's worth recalling that even great long-term investments sometimes underperform for a year or more. Putting aside the last twelve months, it's good to see the share price has rebounded by 20%, in the last ninety days. Let's just hope this isn't the widely-feared 'dead cat bounce' (which would indicate further declines to come). 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. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Mission Produce .
Of course Mission Produce may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.
Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on American exchanges.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
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