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. Sometimes these stories can cloud the minds of investors, leading them to invest with their emotions rather than on the merit of good company fundamentals. 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 Xinhuanet (SHSE:603888). Now this is not to say that the company presents the best investment opportunity around, but profitability is a key component to success in business.

Xinhuanet's Improving Profits

Even modest earnings per share growth (EPS) can create meaningful value, when it is sustained reliably from year to year. So it's easy to see why many investors focus in on EPS growth. Xinhuanet boosted its trailing twelve month EPS from CN¥0.49 to CN¥0.54, in the last year. This amounts to a 10% gain; a figure that shareholders will be pleased to see.

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. While we note Xinhuanet achieved similar EBIT margins to last year, revenue grew by a solid 2.6% to CN¥2.1b. That's progress.

In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings and revenue, over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

While it's always good to see growing profits, you should always remember that a weak balance sheet could come back to bite. So check Xinhuanet's balance sheet strength, before getting too excited.

Are Xinhuanet Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It's a good habit to check into a company's remuneration policies to ensure that the CEO and management team aren't putting their own interests before that of the shareholder with excessive salary packages. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to Xinhuanet, with market caps between CN¥7.3b and CN¥23b, is around CN¥1.2m.

Xinhuanet's CEO took home a total compensation package worth CN¥700k in the year leading up to December 2023. That is actually below the median for CEO's of similarly sized companies. 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. Generally, arguments can be made that reasonable pay levels attest to good decision-making.

Is Xinhuanet Worth Keeping An Eye On?

As previously touched on, Xinhuanet is a growing business, which is encouraging. On top of that, our faith in the board of directors is strengthened by the fact of the reasonable CEO pay. So based on its merits, the stock deserves further research, if not an addition to your watchlist. You still need to take note of risks, for example - Xinhuanet has 2 warning signs (and 1 which is a bit unpleasant) we think you should know about.

While opting for stocks without growing earnings and absent insider buying can yield results, for investors valuing these key metrics, here is a carefully selected list of companies in CN with promising growth potential and insider confidence.

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.