The last three months have been tough on Jiangsu JieJie Microelectronics Co., Ltd. (SZSE:300623) shareholders, who have seen the share price decline a rather worrying 36%. But that doesn't change the fact that the returns over the last five years have been pleasing. After all, the share price is up a market-beating 68% in that time. While the long term returns are impressive, we do have some sympathy for those who bought more recently, given the 49% drop, in the last year.

Although Jiangsu JieJie Microelectronics has shed CN¥2.2b from its market cap this week, let's take a look at its longer term fundamental trends and see if they've driven returns.

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).

Over half a decade, Jiangsu JieJie Microelectronics managed to grow its earnings per share at 2.1% a year. This EPS growth is lower than the 11% average annual increase in the share price. This suggests that market participants hold the company in higher regard, these days. And that's hardly shocking given the track record of growth.

The image below shows how EPS has tracked over time (if you click on the image you can see greater detail).

It might be well worthwhile taking a look at our free report on Jiangsu JieJie Microelectronics' earnings, revenue and cash flow.

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. We note that for Jiangsu JieJie Microelectronics the TSR over the last 5 years was 73%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence!

A Different Perspective

While the broader market lost about 26% in the twelve months, Jiangsu JieJie Microelectronics shareholders did even worse, losing 49% (even including dividends). Having said that, it's inevitable that some stocks will be oversold in a falling market. The key is to keep your eyes on the fundamental developments. On the bright side, long term shareholders have made money, with a gain of 12% 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. It's always interesting to track share price performance over the longer term. But to understand Jiangsu JieJie Microelectronics better, we need to consider many other factors. Case in point: We've spotted 4 warning signs for Jiangsu JieJie Microelectronics you should be aware of.

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 Chinese 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.