Yahoo Finance Here's Why We Think NuVasive, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:NUVA) CEO Compensation Looks Fair for the time being
Despite strong share price growth of 40% for NuVasive, Inc. (NASDAQ:NUVA) over the last few years, earnings growth has been disappointing, which suggests something is amiss. These concerns will be at the front of shareholders' minds as they go into the AGM coming up on 18 May 2021. They will be able to influence managerial decisions through the exercise of their voting power on resolutions, such as CEO remuneration and other matters, which may influence future company prospects. From the data that we gathered, we think that shareholders should hold off on a raise on CEO compensation until performance starts to show some improvement.
View our latest analysis for NuVasive
How Does Total Compensation For Chris Barry Compare With Other Companies In The Industry?
According to our data, NuVasive, Inc. has a market capitalization of US$3.5b, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth US$4.8m over the year to December 2020. Notably, that's a decrease of 11% over the year before. While we always look at total compensation first, our analysis shows that the salary component is less, at US$735k.
On comparing similar companies from the same industry with market caps ranging from US$2.0b to US$6.4b, we found that the median CEO total compensation was US$5.5m. From this we gather that Chris Barry is paid around the median for CEOs in the industry. What's more, Chris Barry holds US$1.4m worth of shares in the company in their own name.
Component | 2020 | 2019 | Proportion (2020) |
Salary | US$735k | US$800k | 15% |
Other | US$4.1m | US$4.6m | 85% |
Total Compensation | US$4.8m | US$5.4m | 100% |
Speaking on an industry level, nearly 20% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 80% is other remuneration. In NuVasive's case, non-salary compensation represents a greater slice of total remuneration, in comparison to the broader industry. If total compensation is slanted towards non-salary benefits, it indicates that CEO pay is linked to company performance.
A Look at NuVasive, Inc.'s Growth Numbers
Over the last three years, NuVasive, Inc. has shrunk its earnings per share by 63% per year. In the last year, its revenue is down 7.9%.
Few shareholders would be pleased to read that EPS have declined. This is compounded by the fact revenue is actually down on last year. So given this relatively weak performance, shareholders would probably not want to see high compensation for the CEO. Looking ahead, you might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for the company's future earnings..
Has NuVasive, Inc. Been A Good Investment?
Boasting a total shareholder return of 40% over three years, NuVasive, Inc. has done well by shareholders. So they may not be at all concerned if the CEO were to be paid more than is normal for companies around the same size.
To Conclude...
While the return to shareholders does look promising, it's hard to ignore the lack of earnings growth and this makes us question whether these strong returns will continue. In the upcoming AGM, shareholders will get the opportunity to discuss any concerns with the board, including those related to CEO remuneration and assess if the board's plan will likely improve performance in the future.
While it is important to pay attention to CEO remuneration, investors should also consider other elements of the business. That's why we did some digging and identified 1 warning sign for NuVasive that you should be aware of before investing.
Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking at a different set of stocks. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. 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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