Steelcase (NYSE:SCS) Shareholders Booked A 27% Gain In The Last Year
The simplest way to invest in stocks is to buy exchange traded funds. But one can do better than that by picking better than average stocks (as part of a diversified portfolio). To wit, the Steelcase Inc. (NYSE:SCS) share price is 27% higher than it was a year ago, much better than the market return of around 18% (not including dividends) in the same period. That's a solid performance by our standards! The longer term returns have not been as good, with the stock price only 21% higher than it was three years ago.
See our latest analysis for Steelcase
There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. 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).
Steelcase was able to grow EPS by 50% in the last twelve months. This EPS growth is significantly higher than the 27% increase in the share price. Therefore, it seems the market isn't as excited about Steelcase as it was before. This could be an opportunity.
You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).
We know that Steelcase has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? If you're interested, you could check this free report showing consensus revenue forecasts.
What About Dividends?
As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. We note that for Steelcase the TSR over the last year was 31%, 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
It's good to see that Steelcase has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 31% in the last twelve months. Of course, that includes the dividend. That's better than the annualised return of 4.7% over half a decade, implying that the company is doing better recently. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. If you would like to research Steelcase in more detail then you might want to take a look at whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in the company.
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.
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.
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. Thank you for reading.
