Yahoo Finance Do Ginger Beef's (CVE:GB) Earnings Warrant Your Attention?
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. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes.
In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like Ginger Beef (CVE:GB). While profit is not necessarily a social good, it's easy to admire a business that can consistently produce it. In comparison, loss making companies act like a sponge for capital - but unlike such a sponge they do not always produce something when squeezed.
Check out our latest analysis for Ginger Beef
How Quickly Is Ginger Beef Increasing Earnings Per Share?
As one of my mentors once told me, share price follows earnings per share (EPS). That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. I, for one, am blown away by the fact that Ginger Beef has grown EPS by 44% per year, 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.
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. Ginger Beef maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 28% to CA$9.1m. That's progress.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.
Ginger Beef isn't a huge company, given its market capitalization of CA$4.2m. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.
Are Ginger Beef Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Personally, I like to see high insider ownership of a company, since it suggests that it will be managed in the interests of shareholders. So as you can imagine, the fact that Ginger Beef insiders own a significant number of shares certainly appeals to me. Indeed, with a collective holding of 72%, company insiders are in control and have plenty of capital behind the venture. This makes me think they will be incentivised to plan for the long term - something I like to see. Valued at only CA$4.2m Ginger Beef is really small for a listed company. That means insiders only have CA$3.0m worth of shares, despite the large proportional holding. That might not be a huge sum but it should be enough to keep insiders motivated!
Is Ginger Beef Worth Keeping An Eye On?
Ginger Beef's earnings per share have taken off like a rocket aimed right at the moon. That EPS growth certainly has my attention, and the large insider ownership only serves to further stoke my interest. At times fast EPS growth is a sign the business has reached an inflection point; and I do like those. So to my mind Ginger Beef is worth putting on your watchlist; after all, shareholders do well when the market underestimates fast growing companies. We don't want to rain on the parade too much, but we did also find 3 warning signs for Ginger Beef (2 don't sit too well with us!) that you need to be mindful of.
Although Ginger Beef certainly looks good to me, I would like it more if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, too, 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.
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.
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