Yahoo Finance Is Now The Time To Put Intermediate Capital Group (LON:ICP) On Your Watchlist?
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. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.
So if this idea of high risk and high reward doesn't suit, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Intermediate Capital Group (LON:ICP). Even if this company is fairly valued by the market, investors would agree that generating consistent profits will continue to provide Intermediate Capital Group with the means to add long-term value to shareholders.
Check out our latest analysis for Intermediate Capital Group
How Fast Is Intermediate Capital Group Growing?
Generally, companies experiencing growth in earnings per share (EPS) should see similar trends in share price. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. Intermediate Capital Group's shareholders have have plenty to be happy about as their annual EPS growth for the last 3 years was 43%. While that sort of growth rate isn't sustainable for long, it certainly catches the eye of prospective investors.
It's often helpful to take a look at earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins, as well as revenue growth, to get another take on the quality of the company's growth. It's noted that Intermediate Capital Group's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue in the last twelve months, so that could distort our analysis of its margins. While we note Intermediate Capital Group achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 20% to UK£935m. That's encouraging news for the company!
You can take a look at the company's revenue and earnings growth trend, in the chart below. Click on the chart to see the exact numbers.
In investing, as in life, the future matters more than the past. So why not check out this free interactive visualization of Intermediate Capital Group's forecast profits?
Are Intermediate Capital Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
We would not expect to see insiders owning a large percentage of a UK£4.2b company like Intermediate Capital Group. But we do take comfort from the fact that they are investors in the company. Indeed, they hold UK£21m worth of its stock. This considerable investment should help drive long-term value in the business. While their ownership only accounts for 0.5%, this is still a considerable amount at stake to encourage the business to maintain a strategy that will deliver value to shareholders.
Is Intermediate Capital Group Worth Keeping An Eye On?
Intermediate Capital Group's earnings have taken off in quite an impressive fashion. That sort of growth is nothing short of eye-catching, and the large investment held by insiders should certainly brighten the view of the company. The hope is, of course, that the strong growth marks a fundamental improvement in the business economics. So at the surface level, Intermediate Capital Group is worth putting on your watchlist; after all, shareholders do well when the market underestimates fast growing companies. Don't forget that there may still be risks. For instance, we've identified 2 warning signs for Intermediate Capital Group (1 is significant) you should be aware of.
There's always the possibility of doing well buying stocks that are not growing earnings and do not have insiders buying shares. But for those who consider these important metrics, we encourage you to check out companies that do have those features. You can access 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.
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