Investors are understandably disappointed when a stock they own declines in value. But when the market is down, you're bound to have some losers. While the Camel Group Co., Ltd. (SHSE:601311) share price is down 16% in the last three years, the total return to shareholders (which includes dividends) was -11%. That's better than the market which declined 14% over the last three years.

If the past week is anything to go by, investor sentiment for Camel Group isn't positive, so let's see if there's a mismatch between fundamentals and the share price.

See our latest analysis for Camel Group

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. 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.

Camel Group saw its EPS decline at a compound rate of 3.9% per year, over the last three years. This reduction in EPS is slower than the 6% annual reduction in the share price. So it's likely that the EPS decline has disappointed the market, leaving investors hesitant to buy.

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

We know that Camel Group 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 is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Camel Group, it has a TSR of -11% for the last 3 years. That exceeds its share price return that we previously mentioned. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

Although it hurts that Camel Group returned a loss of 7.2% in the last twelve months, the broader market was actually worse, returning a loss of 9.3%. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 4%, each year, over five years. It could be that the business is just facing some short term problems, but shareholders should keep a close eye on the fundamentals. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Camel Group better, we need to consider many other factors. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with Camel Group .

But note: Camel Group may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast).

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on Chinese exchanges.

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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.