Yahoo Finance I Ran A Stock Scan For Earnings Growth And Seven Group Holdings (ASX:SVW) Passed With Ease
It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. 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.
So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Seven Group Holdings (ASX:SVW). Now, I'm not saying that the stock is necessarily undervalued today; but I can't shake an appreciation for the profitability of the business itself. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.
View our latest analysis for Seven Group Holdings
How Quickly Is Seven Group Holdings Increasing Earnings Per Share?
As one of my mentors once told me, share price follows earnings per share (EPS). It's no surprise, then, that I like to invest in companies with EPS growth. Over the last three years, Seven Group Holdings has grown EPS by 12% per year. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained.
One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. I note that Seven Group Holdings's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort my analysis of its margins. Seven Group Holdings shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 11% to 18%, and revenue is growing. That's great to see, on both counts.
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.
The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. To that end, right now and today, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for future Seven Group Holdings EPS 100% free.
Are Seven Group Holdings Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Like the kids in the streets standing up for their beliefs, insider share purchases give me reason to believe in a brighter future. This view is based on the possibility that stock purchases signal bullishness on behalf of the buyer. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.
Seven Group Holdings top brass are certainly in sync, not having sold any shares, over the last year. But the bigger deal is that the Lead Independent Director, Terry Davis, paid AU$174k to buy shares at an average price of AU$21.91.
The good news, alongside the insider buying, for Seven Group Holdings bulls is that insiders (collectively) have a meaningful investment in the stock. Indeed, they hold AU$30m worth of its stock. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. Even though that's only about 0.4% of the company, it's enough money to indicate alignment between the leaders of the business and ordinary shareholders.
Is Seven Group Holdings Worth Keeping An Eye On?
One important encouraging feature of Seven Group Holdings is that it is growing profits. On top of that, we've seen insiders buying shares even though they already own plenty. To me, that all makes it well worth a spot on your watchlist, as well as continuing research. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Seven Group Holdings that you should be aware of.
As a growth investor I do like to see insider buying. But Seven Group Holdings isn't the only one. You can see a a free list of them here.
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. 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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