Yahoo Finance Should You Be Adding Dewhurst Group (LON:DWHT) To Your Watchlist Today?
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. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.
So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Dewhurst Group (LON:DWHT). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Dewhurst Group with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.
View our latest analysis for Dewhurst Group
How Fast Is Dewhurst Group Growing?
If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. Shareholders will be happy to know that Dewhurst Group's EPS has grown 35% each year, compound, over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away satisfied.
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. We note that while EBIT margins have improved from 14% to 19%, the company has actually reported a fall in revenue by 3.4%. That falls short of ideal.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.
Since Dewhurst Group is no giant, with a market capitalisation of UK£67m, you should definitely check its cash and debt before getting too excited about its prospects.
Are Dewhurst Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Theory would suggest that it's an encouraging sign to see high insider ownership of a company, since it ties company performance directly to the financial success of its management. So we're pleased to report that Dewhurst Group insiders own a meaningful share of the business. Actually, with 38% of the company to their names, insiders are profoundly invested in the business. This should be a welcoming sign for investors because it suggests that the people making the decisions are also impacted by their choices. In terms of absolute value, insiders have UK£25m invested in the business, at the current share price. So there's plenty there to keep them focused!
It means a lot to see insiders invested in the business, but shareholders may be wondering if remuneration policies are in their best interest. Well, based on the CEO pay, you'd argue that they are indeed. For companies with market capitalisations under UK£174m, like Dewhurst Group, the median CEO pay is around UK£290k.
The Dewhurst Group CEO received UK£206k in compensation for the year ending September 2021. That seems pretty reasonable, especially given it's below the median for similar sized companies. CEO remuneration levels are not the most important metric for investors, but when the pay is modest, that does support enhanced alignment between the CEO and the ordinary shareholders. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.
Is Dewhurst Group Worth Keeping An Eye On?
If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Dewhurst Group's strong EPS growth. If that's not enough, consider also that the CEO pay is quite reasonable, and insiders are well-invested alongside other shareholders. The overarching message here is that Dewhurst Group has underlying strengths that make it worth a look at. It is worth noting though that we have found 1 warning sign for Dewhurst Group that you need to take into consideration.
Although Dewhurst Group certainly looks good, it may appeal to more investors if insiders were buying up shares. If you like to see insider buying, 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.
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.
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