Yahoo Finance Should You Be Adding Nutrien (TSE:NTR) To Your Watchlist Today?
The excitement of investing in a company that can reverse its fortunes is a big draw for some speculators, so even companies that have no revenue, no profit, and a record of falling short, can manage to find investors. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.
If this kind of company isn't your style, you like companies that generate revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in Nutrien (TSE:NTR). Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business.
View our latest analysis for Nutrien
Nutrien's Improving Profits
Over the last three years, Nutrien has grown earnings per share (EPS) at as impressive rate from a relatively low point, resulting in a three year percentage growth rate that isn't particularly indicative of expected future performance. So it would be better to isolate the growth rate over the last year for our analysis. In impressive fashion, Nutrien's EPS grew from US$5.53 to US$15.36, over the previous 12 months. It's a rarity to see 177% year-on-year growth like that. Shareholders will be hopeful that this is a sign of the company reaching an inflection point.
Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. Nutrien shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 18% to 27%, and revenue is growing. That's great to see, on both counts.
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.
Fortunately, we've got access to analyst forecasts of Nutrien's future profits. You can do your own forecasts without looking, or you can take a peek at what the professionals are predicting.
Are Nutrien Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
It's said that there's no smoke without fire. For investors, insider buying is often the smoke that indicates which stocks could set the market alight. Because often, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. Of course, we can never be sure what insiders are thinking, we can only judge their actions.
Any way you look at it Nutrien shareholders can gain quiet confidence from the fact that insiders shelled out US$1.1m to buy stock, over the last year. When you contrast that with the complete lack of sales, it's easy for shareholders to be brimming with joyful expectancy. We also note that it was the President, Kenneth Seitz, who made the biggest single acquisition, paying CA$796k for shares at about CA$102 each.
It's reassuring that Nutrien insiders are buying the stock, but that's not the only reason to think management are fair to shareholders. To be specific, the CEO is paid modestly when compared to company peers of the same size. Our analysis has discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Nutrien, with market caps over US$8.0b, is about US$8.5m.
The Nutrien CEO received total compensation of just US$4.2m in the year to December 2021. First impressions seem to indicate a compensation policy that is favourable to shareholders. 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. It can also be a sign of a culture of integrity, in a broader sense.
Should You Add Nutrien To Your Watchlist?
Nutrien's earnings have taken off in quite an impressive fashion. The company can also boast of insider buying, and reasonable remuneration for the CEO. It could be that Nutrien is at an inflection point, given the EPS growth. For those attracted to fast growth, we'd suggest this stock merits monitoring. What about risks? Every company has them, and we've spotted 2 warning signs for Nutrien (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) you should know about.
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Nutrien, 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.
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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