Yahoo Finance If EPS Growth Is Important To You, Euro Tech Holdings (NASDAQ:CLWT) Presents An Opportunity
Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. 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. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.
In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Euro Tech Holdings (NASDAQ:CLWT), which has not only revenues, but also profits. 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.
Check out our latest analysis for Euro Tech Holdings
How Fast Is Euro Tech Holdings Growing Its Earnings Per Share?
Over the last three years, Euro Tech Holdings has grown earnings per share (EPS) at as impressive rate from a relatively low point, resulting in a three year percentage growth rate that isn't particularly indicative of expected future performance. So it would be better to isolate the growth rate over the last year for our analysis. Euro Tech Holdings' EPS shot up from US$0.099 to US$0.13; a result that's bound to keep shareholders happy. That's a fantastic gain of 29%.
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. The music to the ears of Euro Tech Holdings shareholders is that EBIT margins have grown from -13% to 3.7% in the last 12 months and revenues are on an upwards trend as well. Both of which are great metrics to check off for potential growth.
In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.
Since Euro Tech Holdings is no giant, with a market capitalisation of US$11m, you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.
Are Euro Tech Holdings Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Seeing insiders owning a large portion of the shares on issue is often a good sign. Their incentives will be aligned with the investors and there's less of a probability in a sudden sell-off that would impact the share price. So as you can imagine, the fact that Euro Tech Holdings insiders own a significant number of shares certainly is appealing. To be exact, company insiders hold 56% of the company, so their decisions have a significant impact on their investments. This should be seen as a good thing, as it means insiders have a personal interest in delivering the best outcomes for shareholders. Although, with Euro Tech Holdings being valued at US$11m, this is a small company we're talking about. So despite a large proportional holding, insiders only have US$6.3m worth of stock. That's not a huge stake in absolute terms, but it should help keep insiders aligned with other shareholders.
It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. For companies with market capitalisations under US$200m, like Euro Tech Holdings, the median CEO pay is around US$761k.
The Euro Tech Holdings CEO received total compensation of just US$147k in the year to December 2021. That looks like a modest pay packet, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of shareholders. While the level of CEO compensation shouldn't be the biggest factor in how the company is viewed, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.
Should You Add Euro Tech Holdings To Your Watchlist?
You can't deny that Euro Tech Holdings has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. If you need more convincing beyond that EPS growth rate, don't forget about the reasonable remuneration and the high insider ownership. This may only be a fast rundown, but the key takeaway is that Euro Tech Holdings is worth keeping an eye on. We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 3 warning signs for Euro Tech Holdings that you need to be mindful of.
Although Euro Tech Holdings certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, then this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying, could be exactly what you're looking for.
Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.
Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.
Join A Paid User Research Session
You’ll receive a US$30 Amazon Gift card for 1 hour of your time while helping us build better investing tools for the individual investors like yourself. Sign up here
