It's common for many investors, especially those who are inexperienced, to buy shares in companies with a good story even if these companies are loss-making. 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. A loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the inflow of external capital may dry up.

In contrast to all that, many investors prefer to focus on companies like Shanghai Huafon Aluminium (SHSE:601702), which has not only revenues, but also profits. While this doesn't necessarily speak to whether it's undervalued, the profitability of the business is enough to warrant some appreciation - especially if its growing.

See our latest analysis for Shanghai Huafon Aluminium

How Fast Is Shanghai Huafon Aluminium Growing?

If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS) outcomes. So it makes sense that experienced investors pay close attention to company EPS when undertaking investment research. Shanghai Huafon Aluminium's shareholders have have plenty to be happy about as their annual EPS growth for the last 3 years was 40%. While that sort of growth rate isn't sustainable for long, it certainly catches the eye of prospective investors.

Top-line growth is a great indicator that growth is sustainable, and combined with a high earnings before interest and taxation (EBIT) margin, it's a great way for a company to maintain a competitive advantage in the market. It's noted that, last year, Shanghai Huafon Aluminium's revenue from operations was lower than its revenue, so that could distort our analysis of its margins. Shanghai Huafon Aluminium maintained stable EBIT margins over the last year, all while growing revenue 16% to CN¥8.6b. 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 Shanghai Huafon Aluminium's balance sheet strength, before getting too excited.

Are Shanghai Huafon Aluminium Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

It's pleasing to see company leaders with putting their money on the line, so to speak, because it increases alignment of incentives between the people running the business, and its true owners. Shanghai Huafon Aluminium followers will find comfort in knowing that insiders have a significant amount of capital that aligns their best interests with the wider shareholder group. We note that their impressive stake in the company is worth CN¥794m. This suggests that leadership will be very mindful of shareholders' interests when making decisions!

Is Shanghai Huafon Aluminium Worth Keeping An Eye On?

Shanghai Huafon Aluminium's earnings have taken off in quite an impressive fashion. That EPS growth certainly is attention grabbing, and the large insider ownership only serves to further stoke our interest. The hope is, of course, that the strong growth marks a fundamental improvement in the business economics. Based on the sum of its parts, we definitely think its worth watching Shanghai Huafon Aluminium very closely. Before you take the next step you should know about the 1 warning sign for Shanghai Huafon Aluminium that we have uncovered.

The beauty of investing is that you can invest in almost any company you want. But if you prefer to focus on stocks that have demonstrated insider buying, here is a list of companies with insider buying in the last three months.

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.