While Zhaojin Mining Industry Company Limited (HKG:1818) shareholders are probably generally happy, the stock hasn't had particularly good run recently, with the share price falling 13% in the last quarter. But that shouldn't obscure the pleasing returns achieved by shareholders over the last three years. In the last three years the share price is up, 79%: better than the market.

The past week has proven to be lucrative for Zhaojin Mining Industry investors, so let's see if fundamentals drove the company's three-year performance.

See our latest analysis for Zhaojin Mining Industry

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

During three years of share price growth, Zhaojin Mining Industry achieved compound earnings per share growth of 83% per year. This EPS growth is higher than the 21% average annual increase in the share price. So it seems investors have become more cautious about the company, over time.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

It's probably worth noting that the CEO is paid less than the median at similar sized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Zhaojin Mining Industry's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that Zhaojin Mining Industry has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 58% in the last twelve months. That's including the dividend. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 7% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. In the best case scenario, this may hint at some real business momentum, implying that now could be a great time to delve deeper. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Zhaojin Mining Industry better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 1 warning sign for Zhaojin Mining Industry you should be aware of.

But note: Zhaojin Mining Industry 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 Hong Kong exchanges.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.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.