Yahoo Finance We Ran A Stock Scan For Earnings Growth And Man Group (LON:EMG) Passed With Ease
Investors are often guided by the idea of discovering 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without any revenue, let alone profit. 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. Loss-making companies are always racing against time to reach financial sustainability, so investors in these companies may be taking on more risk than they should.
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 Man Group (LON:EMG). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.
See our latest analysis for Man Group
How Fast Is Man Group Growing?
If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. Therefore, there are plenty of investors who like to buy shares in companies that are growing EPS. Shareholders will be happy to know that Man Group's EPS has grown 33% each year, compound, over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away satisfied.
Careful consideration of revenue growth and earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margins can help inform a view on the sustainability of the recent profit growth. The good news is that Man Group is growing revenues, and EBIT margins improved by 11.7 percentage points to 43%, 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. For finer detail, click on the image.
You don't drive with your eyes on the rear-view mirror, so you might be more interested in this free report showing analyst forecasts for Man Group's future profits.
Are Man Group Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?
Insider interest in a company always sparks a bit of intrigue and many investors are on the lookout for companies where insiders are putting their money where their mouth is. Because often, 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.
It's nice to see that there have been no reports of any insiders selling shares in Man Group in the previous 12 months. With that in mind, it's heartening that Anne Wade, the Independent Non-Executive Director of the company, paid US$28k for shares at around US$1.83 each. It seems that at least one insider is prepared to show the market there is potential within Man Group.
Along with the insider buying, another encouraging sign for Man Group is that insiders, as a group, have a considerable shareholding. Indeed, they hold US$22m worth of its stock. That's a lot of money, and no small incentive to work hard. Despite being just 0.7% of the company, the value of that investment is enough to show insiders have plenty riding on the venture.
Is Man Group Worth Keeping An Eye On?
If you believe that share price follows earnings per share you should definitely be delving further into Man Group's strong EPS growth. On top of that, insiders own a significant piece of the pie when it comes to the company's stock, and one has been buying more. So it's fair to say that this stock may well deserve a spot on your watchlist. It is worth noting though that we have found 2 warning signs for Man Group (1 is potentially serious!) that you need to take into consideration.
Keen growth investors love to see insider buying. Thankfully, Man Group 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.
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