Yahoo Finance Does Goldman Sachs Group's (NYSE:GS) Share Price Gain of 90% Match Its Business Performance?
The main point of investing for the long term is to make money. But more than that, you probably want to see it rise more than the market average. But The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (NYSE:GS) has fallen short of that second goal, with a share price rise of 90% over five years, which is below the market return. Over the last twelve months the stock price has risen a very respectable 20%.
Check out our latest analysis for Goldman Sachs Group
To quote Buffett, 'Ships will sail around the world but the Flat Earth Society will flourish. There will continue to be wide discrepancies between price and value in the marketplace...' By comparing earnings per share (EPS) and share price changes over time, we can get a feel for how investor attitudes to a company have morphed over time.
During five years of share price growth, Goldman Sachs Group achieved compound earnings per share (EPS) growth of 15% per year. This EPS growth is reasonably close to the 14% 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.
You can see below how EPS has changed over time (discover the exact values by clicking on the image).
We know that Goldman Sachs Group has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? Take a more thorough look at Goldman Sachs Group's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet.
What About Dividends?
As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the 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. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of Goldman Sachs Group, it has a TSR of 108% 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
Goldman Sachs Group's TSR for the year was broadly in line with the market average, at 23%. That gain looks pretty satisfying, and it is even better than the five-year TSR of 16% per year. 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. 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 for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Goldman Sachs Group (at least 1 which shouldn't be ignored) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.
Of course Goldman Sachs Group may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of growth stocks.
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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