Yahoo Finance Here's Why We Think Héroux-Devtek (TSE:HRX) Is Well Worth Watching
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. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.
In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Héroux-Devtek (TSE:HRX), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing.
See our latest analysis for Héroux-Devtek
How Fast Is Héroux-Devtek Growing?
Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. It certainly is nice to see that Héroux-Devtek has managed to grow EPS by 31% per year over three years. As a general rule, we'd say that if a company can keep up that sort of growth, shareholders will be beaming.
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. Héroux-Devtek maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 12% to CA$602m. That's encouraging news for the company!
You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. 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 Héroux-Devtek?
Are Héroux-Devtek Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Investors are always searching for a vote of confidence in the companies they hold and insider buying is one of the key indicators for optimism on the market. Because often, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions.
Insiders in Héroux-Devtek both added to and reduced their holdings over the preceding 12 months. All in all though, their acquisitions outweighed the amount of shares they sold off. So, on balance, the insider transactions are mildly encouraging.
The good news, alongside the insider buying, for Héroux-Devtek bulls is that insiders (collectively) have a meaningful investment in the stock. Indeed, they hold CA$65m worth of its stock. This considerable investment should help drive long-term value in the business. As a percentage, this totals to 10% of the shares on issue for the business, an appreciable amount considering the market cap.
While insiders are apparently happy to hold and accumulate shares, that is just part of the big picture. That's because on our analysis the CEO, Martin Brassard, is paid less than the median for similar sized companies. For companies with market capitalisations between CA$270m and CA$1.1b, like Héroux-Devtek, the median CEO pay is around CA$1.9m.
The Héroux-Devtek CEO received CA$1.7m in compensation for the year ending March 2023. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when it's reasonable, that gives a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.
Does Héroux-Devtek Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?
For growth investors, Héroux-Devtek's raw rate of earnings growth is a beacon in the night. On top of that, insiders own a significant stake in the company and have been buying more shares. These things considered, this is one stock worth watching. It is worth noting though that we have found 1 warning sign for Héroux-Devtek that you need to take into consideration.
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Héroux-Devtek, you'll probably love this curated collection of companies in CA that have witnessed growth alongside insider buying in the last three months.
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.
