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Do Wintrust Financial's (NASDAQ:WTFC) Earnings Warrant Your Attention?

It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. 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 are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.

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 Wintrust Financial (NASDAQ:WTFC). Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business.

Check out our latest analysis for Wintrust Financial

How Fast Is Wintrust Financial Growing?

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. 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 Wintrust Financial grew its EPS by 16% per year. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained.

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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. Our analysis has highlighted that Wintrust Financial's revenue from operations did not account for all of their revenue in the previous 12 months, so our analysis of its margins might not accurately reflect the underlying business. EBIT margins for Wintrust Financial remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 13% to US$2.0b. That's a real positive.

You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image.

earnings-and-revenue-history
earnings-and-revenue-history

Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for Wintrust Financial.

Are Wintrust Financial Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Investors are always searching for a vote of confidence in the companies they hold and insider buying is one of the key indicators for optimism on the market. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.

Despite US$504k worth of sales, Wintrust Financial insiders have overwhelmingly been buying the stock, spending US$1.2m on purchases in the last twelve months. This overall confidence in the company at current the valuation signals their optimism. It is also worth noting that it was company insider Brian Kenney who made the biggest single purchase, worth US$609k, paying US$92.23 per share.

On top of the insider buying, it's good to see that Wintrust Financial insiders have a valuable investment in the business. With a whopping US$53m worth of shares as a group, insiders have plenty riding on the company's success. This would indicate that the goals of shareholders and management are one and the same.

Does Wintrust Financial Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of Wintrust Financial is that it is growing profits. On top of that, we've seen insiders buying shares even though they already own plenty. That should do plenty in prompting budding investors to undertake a bit more research - or even adding the company to their watchlists. What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Wintrust Financial (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.

Keen growth investors love to see insider buying. Thankfully, Wintrust Financial 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.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.

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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