The simplest way to invest in stocks is to buy exchange traded funds. But you can significantly boost your returns by picking above-average stocks. For example, the Voyager Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:VYGR) share price is up 71% in the last 1 year, clearly besting the market return of around 23% (not including dividends). That's a solid performance by our standards! Also impressive, the stock is up 31% over three years, making long term shareholders happy, too.

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

View our latest analysis for Voyager Therapeutics

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 the last year Voyager Therapeutics grew its earnings per share, moving from a loss to a profit.

When a company has just transitioned to profitability, earnings per share growth is not always the best way to look at the share price action.

However the year on year revenue growth of 125% would help. Many businesses do go through a phase where they have to forgo some profits to drive business development, and sometimes its for the best.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

We know that Voyager Therapeutics has improved its bottom line lately, but what does the future have in store? You can see what analysts are predicting for Voyager Therapeutics in this interactive graph of future profit estimates.

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that Voyager Therapeutics shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 71% over one year. Since the one-year TSR is better than the five-year TSR (the latter coming in at 3% per year), it would seem that the stock's performance has improved in recent times. Given the share price momentum remains strong, it might be worth taking a closer look at the stock, lest you miss an opportunity. 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. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for Voyager Therapeutics (1 is significant!) that you should be aware of before investing here.

We will like Voyager Therapeutics better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying.

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.