Yahoo Finance Pinnacle West Capital (NYSE:PNW) shareholders have endured a 15% loss from investing in the stock a year ago
The simplest way to benefit from a rising market is to buy an index fund. Active investors aim to buy stocks that vastly outperform the market - but in the process, they risk under-performance. Investors in Pinnacle West Capital Corporation (NYSE:PNW) have tasted that bitter downside in the last year, as the share price dropped 19%. That's well below the market return of 39%. Even if shareholders bought some time ago, they wouldn't be particularly happy: the stock is down 18% in three years. In the last ninety days we've seen the share price slide 21%.
With that in mind, it's worth seeing if the company's underlying fundamentals have been the driver of long term performance, or if there are some discrepancies.
View our latest analysis for Pinnacle West Capital
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).
Unhappily, Pinnacle West Capital had to report a 3.8% decline in EPS over the last year. This reduction in EPS is not as bad as the 19% share price fall. Unsurprisingly, given the lack of EPS growth, the market seems to be more cautious about the stock.
The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
This free interactive report on Pinnacle West Capital's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.
What About Dividends?
As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. In the case of Pinnacle West Capital, it has a TSR of -15% for the last 1 year. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. The dividends paid by the company have thusly boosted the total shareholder return.
A Different Perspective
Pinnacle West Capital shareholders are down 15% for the year (even including dividends), but the market itself is up 39%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 1.3%, each year, over five years. It could be that the recent sell-off is an opportunity, so it may be worth checking the fundamental data for signs of a long term growth trend. 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 learn about the 2 warning signs we've spotted with Pinnacle West Capital (including 1 which is potentially serious) .
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.
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. 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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