Investors are understandably disappointed when a stock they own declines in value. But it's hard to avoid some disappointing investments when the overall market is down. While the NüRNBERGER Beteiligungs-AG (ETR:NBG6) share price is down 15% in the last three years, the total return to shareholders (which includes dividends) was -3.4%. And that total return actually beats the market decline of 5.3%.

It's worthwhile assessing if the company's economics have been moving in lockstep with these underwhelming shareholder returns, or if there is some disparity between the two. So let's do just that.

View our latest analysis for NüRNBERGER Beteiligungs-AG

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. 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.

What About Dividends?

It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. It's fair to say that the TSR gives a more complete picture for stocks that pay a dividend. In the case of NüRNBERGER Beteiligungs-AG, it has a TSR of -3.4% for the last 3 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

Investors in NüRNBERGER Beteiligungs-AG had a tough year, with a total loss of 9.9% (including dividends), against a market gain of about 10%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 3% per year over half a decade. If the fundamental data continues to indicate long term sustainable growth, the current sell-off could be an opportunity worth considering. 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. Take risks, for example - NüRNBERGER Beteiligungs-AG has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit concerning) we think you should know about.

If you are like me, then you will not want to miss this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.