Yahoo Finance Here's Why I Think Ginger Beef (CVE:GB) Might Deserve Your Attention Today
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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 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.
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). Even if the shares are fully valued today, most capitalists would recognize its profits as the demonstration of steady value generation. 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 Ginger Beef
Ginger Beef's Earnings Per Share Are 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 Ginger Beef's stratospheric annual EPS growth of 43%, compound, over the last three years? Growth that fast may well be fleeting, but like a lotus blooming from a murky pond, it sparks joy for the wary stock pickers.
I like to see top-line growth as an indication that growth is sustainable, and I look for a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin to point to a competitive moat (though some companies with low margins also have moats). Ginger Beef shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 5.0% to 9.4%, and revenue is growing. That's great to see, on both counts.
In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings, and revenue, over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.
Ginger Beef isn't a huge company, given its market capitalization of CA$2.7m. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.
Are Ginger Beef Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Like that fresh smell in the air when the rains are coming, insider buying fills me with optimistic anticipation. 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.
One positive for Ginger Beef, is that company insiders paid CA$38k for shares in the last year. This might not be a huge sum, but it's well worth noting anyway, given the complete lack of selling. It is also worth noting that it was CEO, President & Director Stanley Leung who made the biggest single purchase, worth CA$19k, paying CA$0.12 per share.
On top of the insider buying, we can also see that Ginger Beef insiders own a large chunk of the company. In fact, they own 73% of the company, so they will share in the same delights and challenges experienced by the ordinary shareholders. To me this is a good sign because it suggests they will be incentivised to build value for shareholders over the long term. Of course, Ginger Beef is a very small company, with a market cap of only CA$2.7m. That means insiders only have CA$2.0m worth of shares, despite the large proportional holding. That's not a huge stake in absolute terms, but it should help keep insiders aligned with other shareholders.
Does Ginger Beef Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?
Ginger Beef's earnings per share have taken off like a rocket aimed right at the moon. What's more insiders own a significant stake in the company and have been buying more shares. Because of the potential that it has reached an inflection point, I'd suggest Ginger Beef belongs on the top of your watchlist. Even so, be aware that Ginger Beef is showing 2 warning signs in our investment analysis , you should know about...
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Ginger Beef, you'll probably love this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying.
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. 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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