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Here's Why We Think Anglo Asian Mining (LON:AAZ) Is Well Worth Watching

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 completely 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.'

In the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, my choice may seem old fashioned; I still prefer profitable companies like Anglo Asian Mining (LON:AAZ). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, unless its owners have an endless appetite for subsidizing the customer, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else breathe its last breath.

View our latest analysis for Anglo Asian Mining

Anglo Asian Mining's Improving Profits

In business, though not in life, profits are a key measure of success; and share prices tend to reflect earnings per share (EPS). So like a ray of sunshine through a gap in the clouds, improving EPS is considered a good sign. You can imagine, then, that it almost knocked my socks off when I realized that Anglo Asian Mining grew its EPS from US$0.022 to US$0.14, in one short year. Even though that growth rate is unlikely to be repeated, that looks like a breakout improvement.

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I like to take a look at earnings before interest and (EBIT) tax margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. The good news is that Anglo Asian Mining is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 17.3 percentage points to 30%, over the last year. 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.

AIM:AAZ Income Statement, September 2nd 2019
AIM:AAZ Income Statement, September 2nd 2019

The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. To that end, right now and today, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for future Anglo Asian Mining EPS 100% free.

Are Anglo Asian Mining Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Like standing at the lookout, surveying the horizon at sunrise, insider buying, for some investors, sparks joy. Because oftentimes, 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.

Anglo Asian Mining top brass are certainly in sync, not having sold any shares, over the last year. But my excitement comes from the US$52k that Director of Geology at Azerbaijan International Mining Company Stephen Westhead spent buying shares (at an average price of about US$0.87).

On top of the insider buying, we can also see that Anglo Asian Mining insiders own a large chunk of the company. In fact, they own 40% of the shares, making insiders a very influential shareholder group. I'm reassured by this kind of alignment, as it suggests the business will be run for the benefit of shareholders. With that sort of holding, insiders have about US$76m riding on the stock, at current prices. That should be more than enough to keep them focussed on creating shareholder value!

Does Anglo Asian Mining Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

Anglo Asian Mining's earnings have taken off like any random crypto-currency did, back in 2017. The incing on the cake is that insiders own a large chunk of the company and one has even been buying more shares. Because of the potential that it has reached an inflection point, I'd suggest Anglo Asian Mining belongs on the top of your watchlist. Now, you could try to make up your mind on Anglo Asian Mining by focusing on just these factors, or you could also consider how its price-to-earnings ratio compares to other companies in its industry.

There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Anglo Asian Mining, 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

We aim to bring you long-term focused research analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material.

If you spot an error that warrants correction, please contact the editor at editorial-team@simplywallst.com. This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. Simply Wall St has no position in the stocks mentioned. Thank you for reading.