Passive investing in index funds can generate returns that roughly match the overall market. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. For example, the U.S. Xpress Enterprises, Inc. (NYSE:USX) share price is up 92% in the last 1 year, clearly besting the market decline of around 4.7% (not including dividends). So that should have shareholders smiling. And shareholders have also done well over the long term, with an increase of 39% in the last three years.

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

See our latest analysis for U.S. Xpress Enterprises

Because U.S. Xpress Enterprises made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. As you can imagine, fast revenue growth, when maintained, often leads to fast profit growth.

U.S. Xpress Enterprises grew its revenue by 11% last year. That's not great considering the company is losing money. In keeping with the revenue growth, the share price gained 92% in that time. While not a huge gain tht seems pretty reasonable. Given the market doesn't seem too excited about the stock, a closer look at the financial data could pay off, if you can find indications of a stronger growth trend in the future.

The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image).

We consider it positive that insiders have made significant purchases in the last year. Having said that, most people consider earnings and revenue growth trends to be a more meaningful guide to the business. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think U.S. Xpress Enterprises will earn in the future (free profit forecasts).

A Different Perspective

Pleasingly, U.S. Xpress Enterprises' total shareholder return last year was 92%. So this year's TSR was actually better than the three-year TSR (annualized) of 12%. These improved returns 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 U.S. Xpress Enterprises better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for U.S. Xpress Enterprises you should be aware of, and 2 of them don't sit too well with us.