For beginners, it can seem like a good idea (and an exciting prospect) to buy a company that tells a good story to investors, even if it currently lacks a track record of revenue and 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 Joyce (ASX:JYC), which has not only revenues, but also profits. 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.
View our latest analysis for Joyce
Joyce's Earnings Per Share Are Growing
If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. To the delight of shareholders, Joyce has achieved impressive annual EPS growth of 40%, compound, over the last three years. That sort of growth rarely ever lasts long, but it is well worth paying attention to when it happens.
Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. Joyce maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 16% to AU$129m. That's progress.
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.
Joyce isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of AU$99m. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.
Are Joyce Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Theory would suggest that it's an encouraging sign to see high insider ownership of a company, since it ties company performance directly to the financial success of its management. So those who are interested in Joyce will be delighted to know that insiders have shown their belief, holding a large proportion of the company's shares. To be exact, company insiders hold 53% of the company, so their decisions have a significant impact on their investments. Intuition will tell you this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. In terms of absolute value, insiders have AU$53m invested in the business, at the current share price. That's nothing to sneeze at!