For many, the main point of investing in the stock market is to achieve spectacular returns. And highest quality companies can see their share prices grow by huge amounts. Don't believe it? Then look at the Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:ARCT) share price. It's 601% higher than it was five years ago. This just goes to show the value creation that some businesses can achieve. On top of that, the share price is up 81% in about a quarter. We love happy stories like this one. The company should be really proud of that performance!

The past week has proven to be lucrative for Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings investors, so let's see if fundamentals drove the company's five-year performance.

While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. 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 the five years of share price growth, Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings moved from a loss to profitability. That kind of transition can be an inflection point that justifies a strong share price gain, just as we have seen here.

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

We know that Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings has improved its bottom line over the last three years, but what does the future have in store? It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on how its financial position has changed over time.

A Different Perspective

It's good to see that Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 67% in the last twelve months. That gain is better than the annual TSR over five years, which is 48%. Therefore it seems like sentiment around the company has been positive lately. Someone with an optimistic perspective could view the recent improvement in TSR as indicating that the business itself is getting better with time. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings better, we need to consider many other factors. Take risks, for example - Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.

But note: Arcturus Therapeutics Holdings may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list 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 American exchanges.

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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.