Yahoo Finance Does British American Tobacco (LON:BATS) Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?
Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.
In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like British American Tobacco (LON:BATS), which has not only revenues, but also profits. Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide British American Tobacco with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.
Check out our latest analysis for British American Tobacco
British American Tobacco's Earnings Per Share Are Growing
If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. We can see that in the last three years British American Tobacco grew its EPS by 4.6% per year. This may not be setting the world alight, but it does show that EPS is on the upwards trend.
It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. British American Tobacco reported flat revenue and EBIT margins over the last year. That's not bad, but it doesn't point to ongoing future growth, either.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.
While we live in the present moment, there's little doubt that the future matters most in the investment decision process. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for British American Tobacco?
Are British American Tobacco Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
It's said that there's no smoke without fire. For investors, insider buying is often the smoke that indicates which stocks could set the market alight. Because often, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.
Despite UK£1.8k worth of sales, British American Tobacco insiders have overwhelmingly been buying the stock, spending UK£334k on purchases in the last twelve months. An optimistic sign for those with British American Tobacco in their watchlist. Zooming in, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Non-Executive Director Ming Kwan for UK£266k worth of shares, at about UK£33.22 per share.
The good news, alongside the insider buying, for British American Tobacco bulls is that insiders (collectively) have a meaningful investment in the stock. Indeed, they have a considerable amount of wealth invested in it, currently valued at UK£6.7b. Investors will appreciate management having this amount of skin in the game as it shows their commitment to the company's future.
Should You Add British American Tobacco To Your Watchlist?
One important encouraging feature of British American Tobacco is that it is growing profits. Better yet, insiders are significant shareholders, and have been buying more shares. That should do plenty in prompting budding investors to undertake a bit more research - or even adding the company to their watchlists. You still need to take note of risks, for example - British American Tobacco has 2 warning signs we think you should be aware of.
The good news is that British American Tobacco is not the only growth stock with insider buying. Here's a list of them... with insider buying in the last three months!
Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.
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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.
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