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. Unfortunately, these high risk investments often have little probability of ever paying off, and many investors pay a price to learn their lesson. While a well funded company may sustain losses for years, it will need to generate a profit eventually, or else investors will move on and the company will wither away.

Despite being in the age of tech-stock blue-sky investing, many investors still adopt a more traditional strategy; buying shares in profitable companies like Neway Valve (Suzhou) (SHSE:603699). 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.

How Quickly Is Neway Valve (Suzhou) Increasing Earnings Per Share?

If a company can keep growing earnings per share (EPS) long enough, its share price should eventually follow. That makes EPS growth an attractive quality for any company. It certainly is nice to see that Neway Valve (Suzhou) has managed to grow EPS by 22% per year over three years. If the company can sustain that sort of growth, we'd expect shareholders to come away satisfied.

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. Neway Valve (Suzhou) shareholders can take confidence from the fact that EBIT margins are up from 14% to 18%, and revenue is growing. Both of which are great metrics to check off for potential growth.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. For finer detail, click on the image.

While we live in the present moment, there's little doubt that the future matters most in the investment decision process. So why not check this interactive chart depicting future EPS estimates, for Neway Valve (Suzhou)?

Are Neway Valve (Suzhou) Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders?

Seeing insiders owning a large portion of the shares on issue is often a good sign. Their incentives will be aligned with the investors and there's less of a probability in a sudden sell-off that would impact the share price. So as you can imagine, the fact that Neway Valve (Suzhou) insiders own a significant number of shares certainly is appealing. Indeed, with a collective holding of 54%, company insiders are in control and have plenty of capital behind the venture. This should be seen as a good thing, as it means insiders have a personal interest in delivering the best outcomes for shareholders. This insider holding amounts to That level of investment from insiders is nothing to sneeze at.

Should You Add Neway Valve (Suzhou) To Your Watchlist?

You can't deny that Neway Valve (Suzhou) has grown its earnings per share at a very impressive rate. That's attractive. Further, the high level of insider ownership is impressive and suggests that the management appreciates the EPS growth and has faith in Neway Valve (Suzhou)'s continuing strength. On the balance of its merits, solid EPS growth and company insiders who are aligned with the shareholders would indicate a business that is worthy of further research. It's still necessary to consider the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 1 warning sign with Neway Valve (Suzhou) , and understanding it should be part of your investment process.

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 tailored list of Chinese companies which have demonstrated growth backed by significant insider holdings.

Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction.

Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team (at) simplywallst.com.
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.