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Positive earnings growth hasn't been enough to get Upstart Holdings (NASDAQ:UPST) shareholders a favorable return over the last year

It's nice to see the Upstart Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:UPST) share price up 17% in a week. But that isn't much consolation to those who have suffered through the declines of the last year. Like a receding glacier in a warming world, the share price has melted 66% in that period. Some might say the recent bounce is to be expected after such a bad drop. It may be that the fall was an overreaction.

While the stock has risen 17% in the past week but long term shareholders are still in the red, let's see what the fundamentals can tell us.

See our latest analysis for Upstart Holdings

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.

The last year saw Upstart Holdings' EPS really take off. We don't think the growth guide to the sustainable growth rate in this case, but we do think this sort of increase is impressive. As you can imagine, the share price action therefore perturbs us. So it's worth taking a look at some other metrics.

Upstart Holdings' revenue is actually up 251% over the last year. Since we can't easily explain the share price movement based on these metrics, it might be worth considering how market sentiment has changed towards the stock.

You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values).

earnings-and-revenue-growth
earnings-and-revenue-growth

Upstart Holdings is a well known stock, with plenty of analyst coverage, suggesting some visibility into future growth. So it makes a lot of sense to check out what analysts think Upstart Holdings will earn in the future (free analyst consensus estimates)

A Different Perspective

We doubt Upstart Holdings shareholders are happy with the loss of 66% over twelve months. That falls short of the market, which lost 17%. That's disappointing, but it's worth keeping in mind that the market-wide selling wouldn't have helped. The share price decline has continued throughout the most recent three months, down 61%, suggesting an absence of enthusiasm from investors. Given the relatively short history of this stock, we'd remain pretty wary until we see some strong business performance. 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 - Upstart Holdings has 3 warning signs (and 1 which is concerning) we think you should know about.

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.

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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.