Yahoo Finance Here's Why I Think Newtek Business Services (NASDAQ:NEWT) Is An Interesting Stock
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. But the reality is that when a company loses money each year, for long enough, its investors will usually take their share of those losses.
So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Newtek Business Services (NASDAQ:NEWT). While profit is not necessarily a social good, it's easy to admire a business that can consistently produce it. 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 Newtek Business Services
How Fast Is Newtek Business Services Growing?
If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price will eventually follow. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. We can see that in the last three years Newtek Business Services grew its EPS by 10% per year. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up.
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. I note that Newtek Business Services's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort my analysis of its margins. On the one hand, Newtek Business Services's EBIT margins fell over the last year, but on the other hand, revenue grew. So if EBIT margins can stabilize, this top-line growth should pay off for shareholders.
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.
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 Newtek Business Services.
Are Newtek Business Services Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Like the kids in the streets standing up for their beliefs, insider share purchases give me reason to believe in a brighter future. That's because insider buying often indicates that those closest to the company have confidence that the share price will perform well. However, small purchases are not always indicative of conviction, and insiders don't always get it right.
While Newtek Business Services insiders did net -US$120 selling stock over the last year, they invested US$458k, a much higher figure. On balance, to me, this signals their optimism. It is also worth noting that it was Chairman Barry Sloane who made the biggest single purchase, worth US$272k, paying US$34.92 per share.
The good news, alongside the insider buying, for Newtek Business Services bulls is that insiders (collectively) have a meaningful investment in the stock. Indeed, they hold US$38m worth of its stock. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. Those holdings account for over 5.7% of the company; visible skin in the game.
While insiders are apparently happy to hold and accumulate shares, that is just part of the pretty picture. The cherry on top is that the CEO, Barry Sloane is paid comparatively modestly to CEOs at similar sized companies. I discovered that the median total compensation for the CEOs of companies like Newtek Business Services with market caps between US$400m and US$1.6b is about US$2.3m.
The Newtek Business Services CEO received total compensation of just US$700k in the year to . That looks like modest pay to me, and may hint at a certain respect for the interests of shareholders. 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. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.
Does Newtek Business Services Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?
As I already mentioned, Newtek Business Services is a growing business, which is what I like to see. On top of that, we've seen insiders buying shares even though they already own plenty. That makes the company a prime candidate for my watchlist - and arguably a research priority. It is worth noting though that we have found 5 warning signs for Newtek Business Services (2 shouldn't be ignored!) that you need to take into consideration.
There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Newtek Business Services, 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.
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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.
