Yahoo Finance If EPS Growth Is Important To You, Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST) Presents An Opportunity
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 the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.
If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ:COST). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.
View our latest analysis for Costco Wholesale
How Quickly Is Costco Wholesale Increasing Earnings Per Share?
Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. We can see that in the last three years Costco Wholesale grew its EPS by 17% per year. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained.
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. While we note Costco Wholesale achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 16% to US$227b. That's progress.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.
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 Costco Wholesale?
Are Costco Wholesale Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Since Costco Wholesale has a market capitalisation of US$237b, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a large percentage of shares. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth US$591m. We note that this amounts to 0.2% of the company, which may be small owing to the sheer size of Costco Wholesale but it's still worth mentioning. This should still be a great incentive for management to maximise shareholder value.
It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. Well, based on the CEO pay, you'd argue that they are indeed. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Costco Wholesale, with market caps over US$8.0b, is about US$13m.
Costco Wholesale's CEO took home a total compensation package worth US$8.8m in the year leading up to August 2021. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when it's reasonable, that gives a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.
Is Costco Wholesale Worth Keeping An Eye On?
One positive for Costco Wholesale is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. The fact that EPS is growing is a genuine positive for Costco Wholesale, but the pleasant picture gets better than that. Boasting both modest CEO pay and considerable insider ownership, you'd argue this one is worthy of the watchlist, at least. We should say that we've discovered 1 warning sign for Costco Wholesale that you should be aware of before investing here.
The beauty of investing is that you can invest in almost any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies 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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