One simple way to benefit from the stock market is to buy an index fund. But if you pick the right individual stocks, you could make more than that. Just take a look at ScanSource, Inc. (NASDAQ:SCSC), which is up 38%, over three years, soundly beating the market return of 15% (not including dividends). On the other hand, the returns haven't been quite so good recently, with shareholders up just 3.2%.

Since it's been a strong week for ScanSource shareholders, let's have a look at trend of the longer term fundamentals.

View our latest analysis for ScanSource

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.

ScanSource became profitable within the last three years. So we would expect a higher share price over the period.

The company's earnings per share (over time) is depicted in the image below (click to see the exact numbers).

It is of course excellent to see how ScanSource has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. If you are thinking of buying or selling ScanSource stock, you should check out this FREE detailed report on its balance sheet.

A Different Perspective

ScanSource provided a TSR of 3.2% over the last twelve months. But that return falls short of the market. On the bright side, that's still a gain, and it is certainly better than the yearly loss of about 4% endured over half a decade. So this might be a sign the business has turned its fortunes around. Before forming an opinion on ScanSource you might want to consider these 3 valuation metrics.

If you would prefer to check out another company -- one with potentially superior financials -- then do not miss this free list of companies that have proven they can grow earnings.

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.