The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like SKY Network Television (NZSE:SKT), which has not only revenues, but also profits. Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide SKY Network Television with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

Check out our latest analysis for SKY Network Television

How Fast Is SKY Network Television Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

SKY Network Television has undergone a massive growth in earnings per share over the last three years. So much so that this three year growth rate wouldn't be a fair assessment of the company's future. As a result, we'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. Outstandingly, SKY Network Television's EPS shot from NZ$0.19 to NZ$0.42, over the last year. It's a rarity to see 122% year-on-year growth like that.

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. While we note SKY Network Television achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 2.3% to NZ$743m. That's a real positive.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.

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 SKY Network Television?

Are SKY Network Television Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Insider interest in a company always sparks a bit of intrigue and many investors are on the lookout for companies where insiders are putting their money where their mouth is. 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.

Any way you look at it SKY Network Television shareholders can gain quiet confidence from the fact that insiders shelled out NZ$911k to buy stock, over the last year. When you contrast that with the complete lack of sales, it's easy for shareholders to be brimming with joyful expectancy. Zooming in, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Independent Chairman Philip Bowman for NZ$278k worth of shares, at about NZ$2.22 per share.