Yahoo Finance If You Like EPS Growth Then Check Out Fab-Form Industries (CVE:FBF) Before It's Too Late
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 completely lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Warren Buffett has mused, 'If you've been playing poker for half an hour and you still don't know who the patsy is, you're the patsy.' When they buy such story stocks, investors are all too often the patsy.
So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Fab-Form Industries (CVE:FBF). 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. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour.
See our latest analysis for Fab-Form Industries
How Fast Is Fab-Form Industries Growing?
The market is a voting machine in the short term, but a weighing machine in the long term, so share price follows earnings per share (EPS) eventually. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. Who among us would not applaud Fab-Form Industries's stratospheric annual EPS growth of 48%, compound, over the last three years? That sort of growth never lasts long, but like a shooting star it is well worth watching when it happens.
I like to take a look at earnings before interest and (EBIT) tax margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. Fab-Form Industries shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 17% to 21%, and revenue is growing. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in my book.
You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. For finer detail, click on the image.
Since Fab-Form Industries is no giant, with a market capitalization of CA$7.9m, so you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.
Are Fab-Form Industries Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Like the kids in the streets standing up for their beliefs, insider share purchases give me reason to believe in a brighter future. Because oftentimes, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. However, small purchases are not always indicative of conviction, and insiders don't always get it right.
We haven't seen any insiders selling Fab-Form Industries shares, in the last year. So it's definitely nice that Independent Chairman of the Board Don Russell bought CA$7.8k worth of shares at an average price of around CA$0.55.
And the insider buying isn't the only sign of alignment between shareholders and the board, since Fab-Form Industries insiders own more than a third of the company. Actually, with 37% of the company to their names, insiders are profoundly invested in the business. I'm always comforted by solid insider ownership like this, as it implies that those running the business are genuinely motivated to create shareholder value. Of course, Fab-Form Industries is a very small company, with a market cap of only CA$7.9m. So despite a large proportional holding, insiders only have CA$2.9m worth of stock. That's not a huge stake in absolute terms, but it should help keep insiders aligned with other shareholders.
While insiders are apparently happy to hold and accumulate shares, that is just part of the pretty picture. The cherry on top is that the CEO, Rick Fearn is paid comparatively modestly to CEOs at similar sized companies. I discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Fab-Form Industries with market caps under CA$255m is about CA$201k.
The Fab-Form Industries CEO received CA$130k 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. I'd also argue reasonable pay levels attest to good decision making more generally.
Is Fab-Form Industries Worth Keeping An Eye On?
Fab-Form Industries's earnings have taken off like any random crypto-currency did, back in 2017. The incing on the cake is that insiders own a large chunk of the company and one has even been buying more shares. Because of the potential that it has reached an inflection point, I'd suggest Fab-Form Industries belongs on the top of your watchlist. We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 2 warning signs for Fab-Form Industries (1 makes us a bit uncomfortable!) that you need to be mindful of.
As a growth investor I do like to see insider buying. But Fab-Form Industries isn't the only one. You can see a a free list of them here.
Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.
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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.
