Volatility 101: Should Sykes Enterprises (NASDAQ:SYKE) Shares Have Dropped 10%?
Investors can approximate the average market return by buying an index fund. When you buy individual stocks, you can make higher profits, but you also face the risk of under-performance. For example, the Sykes Enterprises, Incorporated (NASDAQ:SYKE) share price is down 10% in the last year. That falls noticeably short of the market return of around -8.1%. However, the longer term returns haven't been so bad, with the stock down 7.9% in the last three years. The share price has dropped 27% in three months. However, one could argue that the price has been influenced by the general market, which is down 19% in the same timeframe.
See our latest analysis for Sykes Enterprises
There is no denying that markets are sometimes efficient, but prices do not always reflect underlying business performance. One flawed but reasonable way to assess how sentiment around a company has changed is to compare the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price.
During the unfortunate twelve months during which the Sykes Enterprises share price fell, it actually saw its earnings per share (EPS) improve by 32%. Of course, the situation might betray previous over-optimism about growth.
It's surprising to see the share price fall so much, despite the improved EPS. So it's well worth checking out some other metrics, too.
Revenue was fairly steady year on year, which isn't usually such a bad thing. However, it is certainly possible the market was expecting an uptick in revenue, and that the share price fall reflects that disappointment.
The image below shows how earnings and revenue have tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).
We know that Sykes Enterprises has improved its bottom line lately, but what does the future have in store? So we recommend checking out this free report showing consensus forecasts
A Different Perspective
While the broader market lost about 8.1% in the twelve months, Sykes Enterprises shareholders did even worse, losing 10%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Longer term investors wouldn't be so upset, since they would have made 1.1%, 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. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Even so, be aware that Sykes Enterprises is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...
We will like Sykes Enterprises better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, 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.
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.
