If you are building a properly diversified stock portfolio, the chances are some of your picks will perform badly. Long term Treatt plc (LON:TET) shareholders know that all too well, since the share price is down considerably over three years. Unfortunately, they have held through a 59% decline in the share price in that time. And the ride hasn't got any smoother in recent times over the last year, with the price 32% lower in that time. Furthermore, it's down 18% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders.

Since shareholders are down over the longer term, lets look at the underlying fundamentals over the that time and see if they've been consistent with returns.

See our latest analysis for Treatt

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just 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).

During the three years that the share price fell, Treatt's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 0.2% each year. This reduction in EPS is slower than the 26% annual reduction in the share price. So it's likely that the EPS decline has disappointed the market, leaving investors hesitant to buy.

The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

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. It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Treatt's earnings, revenue and cash flow.

A Different Perspective

While the broader market gained around 8.7% in the last year, Treatt shareholders lost 31% (even including dividends). However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 1.2% per year over half a decade. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. 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. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Treatt you should know about.