Reflecting on GMS' (NYSE:GMS) Share Price Returns Over The Last Three Years
GMS Inc. (NYSE:GMS) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 13% in the last quarter. But that cannot eclipse the less-than-impressive returns over the last three years. Truth be told the share price declined 23% in three years and that return, Dear Reader, falls short of what you could have got from passive investing with an index fund.
View our latest analysis for GMS
There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.
During the three years that the share price fell, GMS' earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 24% each year. This fall in the EPS is worse than the 8% compound annual share price fall. This suggests that the market retains some optimism around long term earnings stability, despite past EPS declines. This positive sentiment is also reflected in the generous P/E ratio of 49.05.
The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).
We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of GMS' earnings, revenue and cash flow.
A Different Perspective
GMS shareholders are up 5.0% for the year. It's always nice to make money but this return falls short of the market return which was about 22% for the year. On the bright side, that's certainly better than the yearly loss of about 7% endured over the last three years, implying that the company is doing better recently. We hope the turnaround in fortunes continues. 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. For instance, we've identified 3 warning signs for GMS (1 shouldn't be ignored) that you should be aware of.
GMS 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.
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. 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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