The simplest way to invest in stocks is to buy exchange traded funds. But investors can boost returns by picking market-beating companies to own shares in. To wit, the First Seacoast Bancorp (NASDAQ:FSEA) share price is 53% higher than it was a year ago, much better than the market return of around 34% (not including dividends) in the same period. So that should have shareholders smiling. First Seacoast Bancorp hasn't been listed for long, so it's still not clear if it is a long term winner.

View our latest analysis for First Seacoast Bancorp

To paraphrase Benjamin Graham: Over the short term the market is a voting machine, but over the long term it's a weighing machine. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement.

First Seacoast Bancorp boasted truly magnificent EPS growth in the last year. We don't think the exact number is a good guide to the sustainable growth rate, but we do think this sort of increase is impressive. We are not surprised the share price is up. To us, inflection points like this are the best time to take a close look at a stock.

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

We're pleased to report that the CEO is remunerated more modestly than most CEOs at similarly capitalized companies. But while CEO remuneration is always worth checking, the really important question is whether the company can grow earnings going forward. This free interactive report on First Seacoast Bancorp's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

First Seacoast Bancorp boasts a total shareholder return of 53% for the last year. Unfortunately the share price is down 1.1% over the last quarter. Shorter term share price moves often don't signify much about the business itself. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand First Seacoast Bancorp better, we need to consider many other factors. For example, we've discovered 2 warning signs for First Seacoast Bancorp that you should be aware of before investing here.

Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings.

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

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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.

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