Once the lows on this stock broke, last year, (as marked) it clearly indicated lower earnings to come, ie bad news in the future. The lows broke on higher volume, so too the continued down trend, on higher volume. (Who actually buys those steep down trends, that's what I'd like to know) .

If you are buying, look for stocks trending up. Stating the obvious, yes, but worth repeating from time to time. It is also worth repeating, don't buy a stock just because it is cheap. Always look for stocks where the outlook is for increasing earnings, not stocks with cheap prices.