Yahoo Finance Does JD Sports Fashion (LON:JD.) Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?
It's only natural that many investors, especially those who are new to the game, prefer to buy shares in 'sexy' stocks with a good story, even if those businesses lose money. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes.
If, on the other hand, you like companies that have revenue, and even earn profits, then you may well be interested in JD Sports Fashion (LON:JD.). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour.
Check out our latest analysis for JD Sports Fashion
How Quickly Is JD Sports Fashion Increasing Earnings Per Share?
As one of my mentors once told me, share price follows earnings per share (EPS). That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. We can see that in the last three years JD Sports Fashion grew its EPS by 16% per year. That's a good rate of growth, if it can be sustained.
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. JD Sports Fashion shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 7.1% to 12%, and revenue is growing. Ticking those two boxes is a good sign of growth, in my book.
The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.
Of course the knack is to find stocks that have their best days in the future, not in the past. You could base your opinion on past performance, of course, but you may also want to check this interactive graph of professional analyst EPS forecasts for JD Sports Fashion.
Are JD Sports Fashion Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Like that fresh smell in the air when the rains are coming, insider buying fills me with optimistic anticipation. Because oftentimes, 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.
First things first; I didn't see insiders sell JD Sports Fashion shares in the last year. Even better, though, is that the Executive Chairman, Peter Cowgill, bought a whopping UK£431k worth of shares, paying about UK£1.72 per share, on average. To me that means at least one insider thinks that the company is doing well - and they are backing that view with cash.
The good news, alongside the insider buying, for JD Sports Fashion bulls is that insiders (collectively) have a meaningful investment in the stock. Indeed, they hold UK£14m worth of its stock. That shows significant buy-in, and may indicate conviction in the business strategy. Despite being just 0.2% of the company, the value of that investment is enough to show insiders have plenty riding on the venture.
Does JD Sports Fashion Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?
One positive for JD Sports Fashion is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. On top of that, we've seen insiders buying shares even though they already own plenty. To me, that all makes it well worth a spot on your watchlist, as well as continuing research. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 1 warning sign for JD Sports Fashion that you should be aware of.
As a growth investor I do like to see insider buying. But JD Sports Fashion isn't the only one. You can see a a free list of them here.
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.
