Yahoo Finance Here's Why I Think Premier Foods (LON:PFD) Is An Interesting Stock
Like a puppy chasing its tail, some new investors often chase 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without revenue, let alone profit. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes.
In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like Premier Foods (LON:PFD). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. In comparison, loss making companies act like a sponge for capital - but unlike such a sponge they do not always produce something when squeezed.
Check out our latest analysis for Premier Foods
How Fast Is Premier Foods Growing Its Earnings Per Share?
In the last three years Premier Foods's earnings per share took off like a rocket; fast, and from a low base. So the actual rate of growth doesn't tell us much. As a result, I'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. Like a firecracker arcing through the night sky, Premier Foods's EPS shot from UK£0.056 to UK£0.12, over the last year. Year on year growth of 122% is certainly a sight to behold.
I like to take a look at earnings before interest and (EBIT) tax margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. While we note Premier Foods's EBIT margins were flat over the last year, revenue grew by a solid 12% to UK£947m. That's a real positive.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.
While we live in the present moment at all times, there's no doubt in my mind that the future matters more than the past. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Premier Foods?
Are Premier Foods Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Like that fresh smell in the air when the rains are coming, insider buying fills me with optimistic anticipation. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions.
Over the last 12 months Premier Foods insiders spent UK£97k more buying shares than they received from selling them. Although I don't particularly like to see selling, the fact that they put more capital in, than they extracted, is a positive in my mind. Zooming in, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by CEO & Director Alexander Whitehouse for UK£65k worth of shares, at about UK£0.65 per share.
Does Premier Foods Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?
Premier Foods's earnings per share growth have been levitating higher, like a mountain goat scaling the Alps. If you're like me, you'll find it hard to ignore that sort of explosive EPS growth. And indeed, it could be a sign that the business is at an inflection point. If that's the case, you may regret neglecting to put Premier Foods on your watchlist. We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 3 warning signs for Premier Foods (1 is a bit concerning!) that you need to be mindful of.
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Premier Foods, you'll probably love this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.
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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