It hasn't been the best quarter for MannKind Corporation (NASDAQ:MNKD) shareholders, since the share price has fallen 24% in that time. But over five years returns have been remarkably great. Indeed, the share price is up a whopping 309% in that time. So it might be that some shareholders are taking profits after good performance. But the real question is whether the business fundamentals can improve over the long term.

While the stock has fallen 5.8% this week, it's worth focusing on the longer term and seeing if the stocks historical returns have been driven by the underlying fundamentals.

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 last half decade, MannKind became profitable. Sometimes, the start of profitability is a major inflection point that can signal fast earnings growth to come, which in turn justifies very strong share price gains.

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 MannKind has grown profits over the years, but the future is more important for shareholders. This free interactive report on MannKind's balance sheet strength is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

We're pleased to report that MannKind shareholders have received a total shareholder return of 4.2% over one year. Having said that, the five-year TSR of 33% a year, is even better. Potential buyers might understandably feel they've missed the opportunity, but it's always possible business is still firing on all cylinders. 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.

We will like MannKind better if we see some big insider buys.

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

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.