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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. 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 are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.
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 Hill & Smith (LON:HILS). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Hill & Smith with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.
Check out our latest analysis for Hill & Smith
How Fast Is Hill & Smith Growing?
Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. It certainly is nice to see that Hill & Smith has managed to grow EPS by 20% per year over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away satisfied.
One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Hill & Smith maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 21% to UK£803m. That's progress.
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.
Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Hill & Smith's future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.
Are Hill & Smith Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
It's said that there's no smoke without fire. For investors, insider buying is often the smoke that indicates which stocks could set the market alight. This view is based on the possibility that stock purchases signal bullishness on behalf of the buyer. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions.
The real kicker here is that Hill & Smith insiders spent a staggering UK£1.1m on acquiring shares in just one year, without single share being sold in the meantime. Buying like that is a fantastic look for the company and should rouse the market in anticipation for the future. Zooming in, we can see that the biggest insider purchase was by Executive Chairman Alan Clifford Giddins for UK£633k worth of shares, at about UK£14.49 per share.