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. But as Peter Lynch said in One Up On Wall Street, 'Long shots almost never pay off.' 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 Limbach Holdings (NASDAQ:LMB). While profit isn't the sole metric that should be considered when investing, it's worth recognising businesses that can consistently produce it.

How Fast Is Limbach Holdings Growing Its Earnings Per Share?

In the last three years Limbach Holdings' earnings per share took off; so much so that it's a bit disingenuous to use these figures to try and deduce long term estimates. As a result, we'll zoom in on growth over the last year, instead. Limbach Holdings' EPS shot up from US$1.50 to US$2.31; a result that's bound to keep shareholders happy. That's a impressive gain of 53%.

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. While revenue is looking a bit flat, the good news is EBIT margins improved by 2.1 percentage points to 7.0%, in the last twelve months. Which is a great look for the company.

The chart below shows how the company's bottom and top lines have progressed over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart.

The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. While crystal balls don't exist, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for Limbach Holdings' future EPS 100% free.

Are Limbach Holdings 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. Limbach Holdings followers will find comfort in knowing that insiders have a significant amount of capital that aligns their best interests with the wider shareholder group. Given insiders own a significant chunk of shares, currently valued at US$75m, they have plenty of motivation to push the business to succeed. That holding amounts to 8.7% of the stock on issue, thus making insiders influential owners of the business and aligned with the interests of shareholders.

While it's always good to see some strong conviction in the company from insiders through heavy investment, it's also important for shareholders to ask if management compensation policies are reasonable. A brief analysis of the CEO compensation suggests they are. The median total compensation for CEOs of companies similar in size to Limbach Holdings, with market caps between US$400m and US$1.6b, is around US$3.2m.

Limbach Holdings' CEO took home a total compensation package worth US$2.0m in the year leading up to December 2023. That comes in below the average for similar sized companies and seems pretty reasonable. CEO compensation is hardly the most important aspect of a company to consider, but when it's reasonable, that gives a little more confidence that leadership are looking out for shareholder interests. It can also be a sign of good governance, more generally.

Does Limbach Holdings Deserve A Spot On Your Watchlist?

For growth investors, Limbach Holdings' raw rate of earnings growth is a beacon in the night. If that's not enough, consider also that the CEO pay is quite reasonable, and insiders are well-invested alongside other shareholders. The overarching message here is that Limbach Holdings has underlying strengths that make it worth a look at. However, before you get too excited we've discovered 1 warning sign for Limbach Holdings that you should be aware of.

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 the US 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.