Imagine Owning Elevate Credit (NYSE:ELVT) And Wondering If The 37% Share Price Slide Is Justified
Investors can approximate the average market return by buying an index fund. Active investors aim to buy stocks that vastly outperform the market - but in the process, they risk under-performance. For example, the Elevate Credit, Inc. (NYSE:ELVT) share price is down 37% in the last year. That falls noticeably short of the market return of around 6.6%. We wouldn't rush to judgement on Elevate Credit because we don't have a long term history to look at. On the other hand the share price has bounced 5.7% over the last week.
See our latest analysis for Elevate Credit
To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' 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.
Elevate Credit managed to increase earnings per share from a loss to a profit, over the last 12 months.
When a company has just transitioned to profitability, earnings per share growth is not always the best way to look at the share price action. But we may find different metrics more enlightening.
Elevate Credit managed to grow revenue over the last year, which is usually a real positive. Since we can't easily explain the share price movement based on these metrics, it might be worth considering how market sentiment has changed towards the stock.
You can see below how earnings and revenue have changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).
We like that insiders have been buying shares in the last twelve months. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think Elevate Credit will earn in the future (free profit forecasts).
A Different Perspective
Given that the market gained 6.6% in the last year, Elevate Credit shareholders might be miffed that they lost 37%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. The share price decline seems to have halted in the most recent three months, with the relatively flat share price suggesting an absence of enthusiasm from investors. Given the relatively short history of this stock, we'd remain pretty wary until we see some strong business performance. Investors who like to make money usually check up on insider purchases, such as the price paid, and total amount bought. You can find out about the insider purchases of Elevate Credit by clicking this link.
Elevate Credit is not the only stock that insiders are buying. 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.
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.
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. Thank you for reading.
