In This Article:
It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes.
So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Eltek (NASDAQ:ELTK). Now, I'm not saying that the stock is necessarily undervalued today; but I can't shake an appreciation for the profitability of the business itself. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, but time is often a friend of the profitable company, especially if it is growing.
See our latest analysis for Eltek
How Fast Is Eltek Growing Its Earnings Per Share?
Over the last three years, Eltek has grown earnings per share (EPS) like young bamboo after rain; fast, and from a low base. So I don't think the percent growth rate is particularly meaningful. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. Like a falcon taking flight, Eltek's EPS soared from US$0.58 to US$0.86, over the last year. That's a impressive gain of 48%.
I like to see top-line growth as an indication that growth is sustainable, and I look for a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin to point to a competitive moat (though some companies with low margins also have moats). To cut to the chase Eltek's EBIT margins dropped last year, and so did its revenue. That will not make it easy to grow profits, to say the least.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.
Since Eltek is no giant, with a market capitalization of US$23m, so you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.
Are Eltek Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
As a general rule, I think it worth considering how much the CEO is paid, since unreasonably high rates could be considered against the interests of shareholders. I discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Eltek with market caps under US$200m is about US$766k.
The Eltek CEO received US$687k in compensation for the year ending . That comes in below the average for similar sized companies, and seems pretty reasonable to me. While the level of CEO compensation isn't a huge factor in my view of the company, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.