Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.
In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Gromutual Berhad (KLSE:GMUTUAL), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing.
View our latest analysis for Gromutual Berhad
Gromutual Berhad's Earnings Per Share Are Growing
The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so you'd expect share price to follow earnings per share (EPS) outcomes eventually. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. We can see that in the last three years Gromutual Berhad grew its EPS by 6.2% per year. That might not be particularly high growth, but it does show that per-share earnings are moving steadily in the right direction.
It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. Gromutual Berhad shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 21% to 25%, and revenue is growing. Both of which are great metrics to check off for potential growth.
You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.
Since Gromutual Berhad is no giant, with a market capitalisation of RM98m, you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.
Are Gromutual Berhad Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Seeing insiders owning a large portion of the shares on issue is often a good sign. Their incentives will be aligned with the investors and there's less of a probability in a sudden sell-off that would impact the share price. So we're pleased to report that Gromutual Berhad insiders own a meaningful share of the business. In fact, they own 44% of the shares, making insiders a very influential shareholder group. Those who are comforted by solid insider ownership like this should be happy, as it implies that those running the business are genuinely motivated to create shareholder value. Although, with Gromutual Berhad being valued at RM98m, this is a small company we're talking about. That means insiders only have RM43m worth of shares, despite the large proportional holding. That might not be a huge sum but it should be enough to keep insiders motivated!