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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 the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.
If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Kellogg (NYSE:K). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Kellogg with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.
See our latest analysis for Kellogg
How Quickly Is Kellogg Increasing Earnings Per Share?
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. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Over the last three years, Kellogg has grown EPS by 11% per year. That's a pretty good rate, if the company can sustain it.
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. EBIT margins for Kellogg remained fairly unchanged over the last year, however the company should be pleased to report its revenue growth for the period of 2.4% to US$14b. That's encouraging news for the company!
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.
Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Kellogg's future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.
Are Kellogg Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Owing to the size of Kellogg, we wouldn't expect insiders to hold a significant proportion of the company. But thanks to their investment in the company, it's pleasing to see that there are still incentives to align their actions with the shareholders. Indeed, they have a considerable amount of wealth invested in it, currently valued at US$293m. Investors will appreciate management having this amount of skin in the game as it shows their commitment to the company's future.
While it's always good to see some strong conviction in the company from insiders through heavy investment, it's also important for shareholders to ask if management compensation policies are reasonable. A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. For companies with market capitalisations over US$8.0b, like Kellogg, the median CEO pay is around US$13m.