When you buy a stock there is always a possibility that it could drop 100%. But on a lighter note, a good company can see its share price rise well over 100%. One great example isCleanaway Waste Management Limited(ASX:CWY) which saw its share price drive 141% higher over five years.

Let's take a look at the underlying fundamentals over the longer term, and see if they've been consistent with shareholders returns.

View our latest analysis for Cleanaway Waste Management

In his essayThe Superinvestors of Graham-and-DoddsvilleWarren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. 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).

Over half a decade, Cleanaway Waste Management managed to grow its earnings per share at 20% a year. This EPS growth is remarkably close to the 19% average annual increase in the share price. Therefore one could conclude that sentiment towards the shares hasn't morphed very much. Rather, the share price has approximately tracked EPS growth.

The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).ASX:CWY Earnings Per Share Growth October 2nd 2021

We know that Cleanaway Waste Management has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? If you're interested, you could check thisfreereport showing consensus revenue forecasts.What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. The TSR incorporates the value of any spin-offs or discounted capital raisings, along with any dividends, based on the assumption that the dividends are reinvested. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. In the case of Cleanaway Waste Management, it has a TSR of 167% for the last 5 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

Cleanaway Waste Management shareholders have received returns of 33% over twelve months (even including dividends), which isn't far from the general market return. Most would be happy with a gain, and it helps that the year's return is actually better than the average return over five years, which was 22%. Even if the share price growth slows down from here, there's a good chance that this is business worth watching in the long term. Before spending more time on Cleanaway Waste Management it might be wise to click here to see if insiders have been buying or selling shares.

But note:Cleanaway Waste Management may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at thisfreelist 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 AU exchanges.

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.

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