Long term investing is the way to go, but that doesn't mean you should hold every stock forever. It hits us in the gut when we see fellow investors suffer a loss. For example, we sympathize with anyone who was caught holding Green Dot Corporation (NYSE:GDOT) during the five years that saw its share price drop a whopping 89%. We also note that the stock has performed poorly over the last year, with the share price down 45%. Furthermore, it's down 32% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. We really hope anyone holding through that price crash has a diversified portfolio. Even when you lose money, you don't have to lose the lesson.

Since Green Dot has shed US$57m from its value in the past 7 days, let's see if the longer term decline has been driven by the business' economics.

View our latest analysis for Green Dot

In his essay The Superinvestors of Graham-and-Doddsville Warren Buffett described how share prices do not always rationally reflect the value of a business. One way to examine how market sentiment has changed over time is to look at the interaction between a company's share price and its earnings per share (EPS).

During the five years over which the share price declined, Green Dot's earnings per share (EPS) dropped by 21% each year. Readers should note that the share price has fallen faster than the EPS, at a rate of 36% per year, over the period. This implies that the market was previously too optimistic about the stock.

You can see how EPS has changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

This free interactive report on Green Dot's earnings, revenue and cash flow is a great place to start, if you want to investigate the stock further.

A Different Perspective

Green Dot shareholders are down 45% for the year, but the market itself is up 25%. However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. Regrettably, last year's performance caps off a bad run, with the shareholders facing a total loss of 14% per year over five years. We realise that Baron Rothschild has said investors should "buy when there is blood on the streets", but we caution that investors should first be sure they are buying a high quality business. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Green Dot better, we need to consider many other factors. Even so, be aware that Green Dot is showing 1 warning sign in our investment analysis , you should know about...

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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.