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. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' 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.

Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Mah Sing Group Berhad (KLSE:MAHSING). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Mah Sing Group Berhad with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.

Check out our latest analysis for Mah Sing Group Berhad

How Fast Is Mah Sing Group Berhad Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

In the last three years Mah Sing Group Berhad's earnings per share took off; so much so that it's a bit disingenuous to use these figures to try and deduce long term estimates. So it would be better to isolate the growth rate over the last year for our analysis. Mah Sing Group Berhad's EPS skyrocketed from RM0.051 to RM0.081, in just one year; a result that's bound to bring a smile to shareholders. That's a fantastic gain of 59%.

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. While we note Mah Sing Group Berhad achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 19% to RM2.6b. That's a real positive.

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.

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 Mah Sing Group Berhad.

Are Mah Sing Group Berhad 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 as you can imagine, the fact that Mah Sing Group Berhad insiders own a significant number of shares certainly is appealing. Actually, with 37% of the company to their names, insiders are profoundly invested in the business. Shareholders and speculators should be reassured by this kind of alignment, as it suggests the business will be run for the benefit of shareholders. In terms of absolute value, insiders have RM837m invested in the business, at the current share price. So there's plenty there to keep them focused!