How Much Did DXP Enterprises'(NASDAQ:DXPE) Shareholders Earn From Share Price Movements Over The Last Year?

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. Unfortunately the DXP Enterprises, Inc. (NASDAQ:DXPE) share price slid 39% over twelve months. That falls noticeably short of the market return of around 19%. However, the longer term returns haven't been so bad, with the stock down 29% in the last three years. Shareholders have had an even rougher run lately, with the share price down 14% in the last 90 days.

View our latest analysis for DXP Enterprises

There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. 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.

Unhappily, DXP Enterprises had to report a 43% decline in EPS over the last year. This proportional reduction in earnings per share isn't far from the 39% decrease in the share price. Therefore one could posit that the market has not become more concerned about the company, despite the lower EPS. Rather, the share price has approximately tracked EPS growth.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Even so, future earnings will be far more important to whether current shareholders make money. This free interactive report on DXP Enterprises' earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 19% in the last year, DXP Enterprises shareholders lost 39%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 5.5% over the last half decade. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand DXP Enterprises better, we need to consider many other factors. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for DXP Enterprises (1 is a bit concerning) that you should be aware of.

DXP Enterprises is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

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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