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Is Now The Time To Put United U-LI Corporation Berhad (KLSE:ULICORP) On Your Watchlist?

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 currently lacks a track record of revenue and profit. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' Loss making companies can act like a sponge for capital - so investors should be cautious that they're not throwing good money after bad.

Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like United U-LI Corporation Berhad (KLSE:ULICORP). 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.

View our latest analysis for United U-LI Corporation Berhad

How Fast Is United U-LI Corporation Berhad Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

In the last three years United U-LI Corporation Berhad's earnings per share took off; so much so that it's a bit disingenuous to use these figures to try and deduce long term estimates. Thus, it makes sense to focus on more recent growth rates, instead. United U-LI Corporation Berhad has grown its trailing twelve month EPS from RM0.18 to RM0.19, in the last year. That's a modest gain of 5.2%.

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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. It was a year of stability for United U-LI Corporation Berhad as both revenue and EBIT margins remained have been flat over the past year. That's not bad, but it doesn't point to ongoing future growth, either.

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.

earnings-and-revenue-history
earnings-and-revenue-history

United U-LI Corporation Berhad isn't a huge company, given its market capitalisation of RM307m. That makes it extra important to check on its balance sheet strength.

Are United U-LI Corporation Berhad Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Prior to investment, it's always a good idea to check that the management team is paid reasonably. Pay levels around or below the median, can be a sign that shareholder interests are well considered. For companies with market capitalisations under RM947m, like United U-LI Corporation Berhad, the median CEO pay is around RM493k.

United U-LI Corporation Berhad's CEO only received compensation totalling RM51k in the year to December 2022. This could be considered a token amount, and indicates that the company does not need to use payment to motivate the CEO - that is often a good sign. 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 United U-LI Corporation Berhad Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

One important encouraging feature of United U-LI Corporation Berhad is that it is growing profits. On top of that, our faith in the board of directors is strengthened by the fact of the reasonable CEO pay. So all in all United U-LI Corporation Berhad is worthy at least considering for your watchlist. It is worth noting though that we have found 2 warning signs for United U-LI Corporation Berhad that you need to take into consideration.

There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access a tailored list of Malaysian companies which have demonstrated growth backed by recent insider purchases.

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.