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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. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.
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 Tate & Lyle (LON:TATE). 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.
See our latest analysis for Tate & Lyle
How Fast Is Tate & Lyle Growing?
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. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. It certainly is nice to see that Tate & Lyle has managed to grow EPS by 28% per year over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away satisfied.
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. Tate & Lyle's EBIT margins are flat but, worryingly, its revenue is actually down. While this may raise concerns, investors should investigate the reasoning behind this.
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.
While we live in the present moment, there's little doubt that the future matters most in the investment decision process. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Tate & Lyle?
Are Tate & Lyle Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Insider interest in a company always sparks a bit of intrigue and many investors are on the lookout for companies where insiders are putting their money where their mouth is. This view is based on the possibility that stock purchases signal bullishness on behalf of the buyer. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.
Belief in the company remains high for insiders as there hasn't been a single share sold by the management or company board members. But the bigger deal is that the Independent Chairman, David Lovat Hearn, paid UK£102k to buy shares at an average price of UK£6.55. Purchases like this clue us in to the to the faith management has in the business' future.