If You Had Bought Manning & Napier (NYSE:MN) Shares A Year Ago You'd Have Earned120% Returns

Unfortunately, investing is risky - companies can and do go bankrupt. But if you pick the right business to buy shares in, you can make more than you can lose. For example, the Manning & Napier, Inc. (NYSE:MN) share price has soared 120% in the last year. Most would be very happy with that, especially in just one year! And in the last month, the share price has gained -1.4%. This could be related to the recent financial results that were recently released - you could check the most recent data by reading our company report. Having said that, the longer term returns aren't so impressive, with stock gaining just 21% in three years.

See our latest analysis for Manning & Napier

While the efficient markets hypothesis continues to be taught by some, it has been proven that markets are over-reactive dynamic systems, and investors are not always rational. 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.

Manning & Napier was able to grow EPS by 22% in the last twelve months. The share price gain of 120% certainly outpaced the EPS growth. So it's fair to assume the market has a higher opinion of the business than it a year ago.

You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).

We know that Manning & Napier has improved its bottom line lately, but is it going to grow revenue? You could check out this free report showing analyst revenue forecasts.

What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)?

We've already covered Manning & Napier's share price action, but we should also mention its total shareholder return (TSR). The TSR is a return calculation that accounts for the value of cash dividends (assuming that any dividend received was reinvested) and the calculated value of any discounted capital raisings and spin-offs. Dividends have been really beneficial for Manning & Napier shareholders, and that cash payout contributed to why its TSR of 128%, over the last year, is better than the share price return.

A Different Perspective

It's nice to see that Manning & Napier shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 128% over the last year. That certainly beats the loss of about 5.6% per year over the last half decade. We generally put more weight on the long term performance over the short term, but the recent improvement could hint at a (positive) inflection point within the business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should learn about the 4 warning signs we've spotted with Manning & Napier (including 1 which is shouldn't be ignored) .

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.

Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US exchanges.

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. 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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